HISTORICAL MEMOIRS 



LA VENDUE. 



BY MADAME DE SAPINAUD. 






TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH. 




LONDON: 
FOR C. KNIGHT, 7, PALL-MALL, EAST, 

MDCCCXXIV. 



.532. 



LONDON 

PRINTED BY W. CLOWES, 

Northumberland- court. 



ADVERTISEMENT. 

The Memoirs, of which a translation is now offered 
to the Public, have recently appeared in a Collection 
of Memoirs on the French Revolution, now publishing" 
in Paris. The principal events of the Vendean War 
are here slightly sketched ; — but the Narrative contains 
the most minute particulars of the sufferings of the in- 
habitants of that devoted district, forming a picture of 
the horrors of civil war, perhaps unequalled by any 
similar delineations of ferocity and suffering. These 
Memoirs are distinguished by a tone of great simpli- 
city and impartiality, which is the best evidence of 
their truth. The translator trusts they will be re- 
ceived as an appropriate companion to the interest- 
ing Memoirs of the Marchioness de Bonchamps. 

London, March 22, 1824, 



HISTORICAL MEMOIRS 



LA VENDEE 



lT is for you, my dear children, that I 
have written this history of the misfor- 
tunes and the glory of La Vendee. If 
t)ur triumphs have been great, our dis- 
asters have been equally so ; and Provi- 
dence, which crowned our efforts with 
glory while we remained faithful to our 
God, abandoned us as soon as we re- 
nounced that fidelity. Often, in writing 
these Memoirs, have I bedewed with my 
tears the page on which I retraced so many 
misfortunes. Surrounded as I was by ene- 

B 



mies who persecuted me with sanguinary 
hatred ; clothed in the garb of misery ; 
and, to complete my wretchedness, sepa- 
rated from my children, — the only conso- 
lation I had left was to write for them an 
account of the heroic deeds and great dis- 
asters I witnessed. You will perhaps find 
in the course of my details that I some- 
times depart from the exact order of his- 
torical precision ; but how can it be other- 
wise ? Ever since the fatal day when the 
Patriots entered Mortagne and set fire to 
my house, I wandered from cottage to cot- 
tage, uncertain where to lay my head ; I 
know not even whether Providence will 
ever grant me the happiness of seeing you 
again and folding you in my arms. In that 
case this shall be the will of your unfortu- 
nate mother. May my children, when they 
read how their uncle Sapinaud, and their 
relatives Baudery and Verteuil died, learn 



to walk in their steps, and to hold, like 
them, but one object in view, that of faith- 
fully serving their God and their King ! 
May they, above all, preserve those senti- 
ments of religion with which I have always 
endeavoured to impress them ; and by such 
means they will procure a life of happiness 
in this world, and a never-fading glory in 
the world to come. 



The war of La Vendee commenced on 
the 12th March, 1793. The peasants re- 
volted in the district of La Bretiere ; they 
afterwards dispersed among the neighbour- 
ing parishes, and came in a body to M. Sa- 
pinaud de Bois-Huguet, better known by 
the name of La Verrie. " We have chosen 
you," said they, u for our general, and you 
shall march at our head." Sapinaud en- 

b 2 



deavoured to convince them of the misfor- 
tunes they would bring upon themselves 
and upon La Vendee. " My friends/' said 
he, " this is ridiculous ; you are rushing 
on your own destruction. What can we 
do ? A single department against eighty- 
two ! We should be overpowered at once. 
It is not for myself that I speak : life has 
been to me a burden since I have witnessed 
all the horrors which the barbarians have 
heaped on our unfortunate ^country ; and I 
would rather perish at your head in the 
cause of my God and my king, than sub- 
mit to be dragged to a prison, as is the 
common lot of such as I am. Take my 
advice ; return to your homes, and do not 
throw away your lives to no purpose !" 
The brave peasantry, however, far from 
yielding to his remonstrances, insisted 
that they could never pay obedience to a 
government which had deprived them of 



their priests, and imprisoned their king. 
"We have been deceived," said they; 
" why do they send us constitutional 
priests? Those are not the men who at- 
tended our fathers on their death-beds, 
and we will not have them to bless our 
children !" My brother-in-law knew not 
which course to take ; he hesitated to ex- 
pose those brave fellows, as well as himself, 
to an apparently certain death ; but finding 
that they obstinately persisted, he at length 
yielded to their entreaties, placed himself 
at their head, and departed that very day 
for Les Herbiers. They were joined by the 
peasantry of La Gaubretiere. On their 
way through La Verrie they went to the 
house of Sapinaud de la Verrie, and obliged 
him to march under the command of his 
uncle ; and that very evening, this undisci- 
plined troop, whose only weapons of defence 



6 

were a few fowling-pieces, scythes, and 
sticks, arrived before Les Herbiers. 

The inhabitants had been apprized of 
their approach, and had collected together 
all the Patriots they could muster. Two 
companies of Blues had been sent to their 
assistance with four or five pieces of can- 
_non. Sapinaud de la Verrie, who saw his 
uncle advancing at the head of a band of 
men so ill supplied for an attack, felt that 
he had sacrificed his life, and prepared him- 
self for the fatal blow which should deprive 
him of it. The balls whizzed in his ears, 
and completely deafened him ; yet, in less 
than a couple of hours, the Vendeans drove 
away the Blues, and became masters of the 
town. Not one of our men was killed ; and 
only two were wounded. The number of 
killed on the Patriots 5 side was consider- 



able, and they left behind them a great 
quantity of muskets which were distributed 
among our peasantry. 

After this successful expedition, it was 
learnt that six or seven parishes had united 
to attack Chollet. The division which Sa- 
pinaud commanded desired to be directed 
on that town, and my brother-in-law readily 
acceded to their proposal. They arrived be- 
neath the walls at two o'clock. Five hun- 
dred dragoons, and the national guard of 
the neighbouring districts, were assembled 
in the town for its defence. The comman- 
dant advised them to remain within the 
walls ; but as soon as the dragoons per- 
ceived the Vendeans, they issued from the 
gates of Chollet, imagining that a few mus- 
ket-shots would soon disperse a handful of 
men without arms or experience ; and ad- 
vancing as far as the wood of Gralot, they 



8 

formed for action. The Vendeans, ignorant 
of the danger to which they exposed them- 
selves, fired as they advanced ; the muskets 
being ranged in front, and the scythes be- 
hind. The first volley they fired upon the 
Patriots was so well directed that the com- 
mandant of the national guard and the colo- 
nel of dragoons fell dead on the field. Our 
men, encouraged by this first advantage, 
rushed immediately on the foremost column 
of the enemy. The national guards took 
the alarm and fled, the Blues were thrown 
into confusion, and the Vendeans entered 
Chollet almost without striking a single 
blow. The enemy was pursued for more 
than a league beyond the tow r n. This vie 
tory was the more glorious as our men 
were not so numerous as the Patriots, who 
were, besides, well armed and assisted by 
troops of the line, while our peasantry, on 
the contrary, went on singing their can- 



9 

tides, and with few exceptions, wearing 
their rosaries. There was not the slightest 
reaction, and Sapinaud contented himself 
with throwing the most determined of the 
Patriots into prison. Yet the Vendeans 
had terrible injuries to avenge upon the 
inhabitants of Chollet, who, at the last bal- 
lotting for the militia, had attacked the 
young men of the neighbouring parishes 
who had come without arms, and had killed 
some of them ; this must necessarily have ir- 
ritated the neighbouring population against 
them. 

On his return, Sapinaud established his 
head-quarters at Chantonnay. The na- 
tional guards were terrified ; the troops of 
the line fled in every direction. My 
brother-in-law wrote to inform me of his 
success, and he came himself, a few days 
afterwards, to pay me a visit at Mortagne, 



10 

He was far, however, from deluding him- 
self with hope ; he assured me that the 
catastrophe was at hand, and that he and 
many others would perish. I endeavoured 
in vain to remove this melancholy presen- 
timent.— " Do not imagine, sister," he 
replied, " that I tremble at the prospect 
of death ; I offered the sacrifice of my life 
the day on which I took up arms. My 
course is taken ; there is an end of it. I 
will retard as long as I can the fatal mo- 
ment, but I am sure it will not be long 
before I pay the forfeit of my life. All 1 
regret is that I cannot be useful, before I 
die, to the brave fellows who have followed 
me." 

In vain did his Aides-de-camp, Rangot 
and Bejarry, endeavour to divert his 
thoughts ; he was struck with the idea of 
his approaching death. He bade me adieu, 



11 

desiring me to comfort myself, and re- 
commending to me his Vendeans. — " De- 
pend upon it, sister," said he, as he em- 
braced me, "I shall always be .found at 
the head of my men, and you shall never 
hear of my having retreated before the 
enemy." — As soon as he had got on horse- 
back, there was a general shout of " Vive 
le Roi ! " and I returned to my fire-side, 
musing on what he had said. 

The very day on which my brother-in- 
law left me, the Blues advanced beyond 
Chatillon ; a courier brought the news of 
this movement to Sapinaud at midnight. 
He immediately ordered the tocsin to be 
sounded, and, after making the necessary 
preparations, he faced the enemy. The 
Blues, who had expected to surprise him, 
on being informed of his arrival did not 
dare to stay to meet him, but retreated „ 



12 

Sapinaud then left at Chatillon a certain 
number of troops to defend the place in 
case of an attack ; and having learnt that 
a division of the enemy was marching 
on Chantonnay, he hastened to the assist- 
ance of that town. 

Half a league from Chantonnay the 
Vendean army fell in with the Patriots, 
headed by a squadron of Gendarmerie. 
Sapinaud instantly ordered his peasants to 
halt. " My friends," said he, "let us con- 
quer or die for our God and our King ; fol- 
low me ! " After this short harangue, he 
rushed upon the enemy ; a cannon ball 
carried off a part of his hat ; never had 
the Vendeans fought with so much courage : 
all the Gendarmes were either killed or 
wounded ; and the Blues left nearly three 
thousand men on the field of battle. The 
Vendeans returned triumphant. The 



13 

officers and the soldiers united in singing 
their canticles ; this was the period of our 
glory. 

M. d'Elbee and M. Bonchamps had 
made wonderful progress in the direction 
of Beaupreau : they had beat the Re- 
publicans at Saint-Florent. The repub- 
lican general, Gauvillier, having left Cha- 
lonne uncovered, and with no other de- 
fence than three thousand National Guards, 
Bonchamps hastened to that town, and sent 
the following summons to the mayor : 

" Inhabitants of Chalonne, 

" The Generals of the Roman 
Catholic Army, consisting of five thousand 
men, send to you M. Rousseau and M. Le- 
brun, to require you to surrender in the 
name of God, of religion, and of the Cha- 
lonnese prisoners. If you are prepared to 



14 

resist, you may reckon on the destruction 
of your town ! But if, on the contrary, 
you surrender, you will receive a full par- 
don ; you will bring us your arms, and you 
will give us four persons of distinction as 
hostages. We come to you in the name of 
humanity." 

The mayor, whose name was Vial, ex- 
pressed his determination to die rather 
than Surrender ; but as 'soon as the Ven- 
dean Army was put in motion, all these 
brave Patriots were eager to capitulate. 
The army enterred Chalonne in triumph, 
and was received with the loudest acclama- 
tions by the populace. The papers of 
the administration were burnt, and all the 
arms and ammunition which the town con- 
tained were seized. Part of these was 
distributed among the peasantry, and the 
rest was forwarded to Mortagne, where a 






15 

depot had been established. This town, 
which was situated on an eminence, and 
contained three squares within its boun- 
daries, together with a convent and some 
old ramparts which commanded the whole 
of the surrounding country, seemed des- 
tined to be the bulwark of La Vendee. 
M. de Royrand and M. de Bonchamps 
were constantly sending thither the am- 
munition and other things taken from the 
enemy ; my house was occupied by the 
Staffs in the days of our triumphs, and the 
enthusiasm excited by victory w r as un- 
mingled with fear. Our joy was at its 
highest pitchj^ven when M. de Piron, on 
his return from the army of Prussia, tri- 
umphed over Santerre in the battle of 
Coron, a period at which fortune seemed 
to declare herself against us. I have seen 
women go down on their knees before the 
pieces of cannon taken from the enemy, 



16 

and sent by Piron to Mortagne, and em- 
brace them with cries of " Vive le Roi !" 
I cannot refrain from tears when I think 
of the misfortunes which were then await- 
ing us ! 

The Chateau was at that time filled with 
bombs, new cannon, shot, and cassoons, 
together with a great quantity of muskets. 
The cellars too contained barrels of powder, 
and workmen of all kinds were busily em- 
ployed night and day ; so that we seemed 
to be in a fortress. M. Donissan and I 
gave dinners every day to the superior 
officers ; I also received the Royalists of all 
ranks : my house was constantly occupied, 
and it was afterwards the first to be burnt 
Such was the situation of Mortagne from 
the month of May to October. 

After the battle of Chantonnay, Sa- 



17 

pinaud had sent us three hundred pri- 
soners, among whom was the leader of 
the Vengeurs, who carried fire and sword 
everywhere. They arrived at Mortagne 
about eight o'clock in the evening, and I 
went down to see them as they passed 
before my door. There were four or five 
priests among them whose appearance was 
quite frightful ; shame was painted on their 
countenances, and as they walked along 
their eyes were continually wandering, 
for they did not dare to fix them on any 
one. I spoke to the leader of the Vengeurs, 
who was richly attired, and whose name 
was Monet ; one of his companions in mis- 
fortune was a young man of Mortagne, 
whom I was very much surprised to see 
among the prisoners. His father and 
mother eagerly came to solicit his pardon, 
and I was very sorry that I had not the 

c 



18 

power to grant it. I sent an express to 
Sapinaud, and in the meantime they were 
all marched off to prison. The follow- 
ing day Monet sent me the following 
letter : — 

" Madam, 

" My brother-in-law, M. Gamier, 
owed his deliverance to you, and the kind- 
ness you displayed on that occasion en- 
courages me to address you, and to beg 
you to have pity on my condition. I am 
an only son, and my parents, who love me 
better than themselves, would willingly 
give their lives and fortune to redeem me. 
Require of them a considerable sum for the 
use of the poor, and they will immediately 
forward it to you. You are a mother, and 
if your children should ever experience the 
same misfortunes that I do, the Almighty 



19 

will direct them to some kind-hearted 
persons who will be to them what you 
are to me. 

" Your servant, 

" Monet. " 

I sent this letter to M. de Cumont, Who 
commanded in the absence of M. de la 
Verrie, and wrote to him also myself in 
favour of the unfortunate young man. Not- 
withstanding all his faults, I was desi- 
rous that he should be pardoned. The 
sight of misfortune turns vengeance into 
pity. M. de Cumont, however, replied 
that the most dreadful death would be too 
mild a punishment for such a man. Alas ! 
thought I, he would think otherwise if he 
had a mother's heart. I knew not how to 
announce this sad news to the young 
colonel, but I at length determined on send- 
ing him the following letter : — 

c 2 



20 

*Sir, 

" It gives me great pain that I am 
unable to follow the dictates of my heart, 
which would lead me to restore you to 
your affectionate parents. Yes, Sir, their 
misfortune and your own remind me that 
I am a mother, and incline me to serve you. 
I am exceedingly desirous, since I am not 
permitted to preserve your body, to en- 
deavour at least to save your soul. As- 
suming then all the feelings of her to whom 
you owe your birth, I will venture to call 
your attention to your past conduct, not 
for the purpose of "adding to your grief, 
but in order to excite a feeling of repent- 
ance. Represent to yourself the unfortu- 
nate mothers whom you have deprived of 
their husbands ; think of the fate of those 
unhappy widows, who know not where to 
lay their heads, and who are rendered still 
more inconsolable bv the sight of their 



21 

poor little orphans ; there are many such 
in this town who demand your life as a 
sacrifice to appease the ashes of their hus- 
bands and their children. M. Niveleau, 
a young man of this town, is in the same 
situation with yourself. His father, mother, 
and sisters earnestly solicit the freedom of 
their son and their brother ; but their 
prayers and their tears will be of no avail ; 
his death is determined on. Throw your- 
self, young man, into the arms of God, 
who alone receives us like a father when 
we are abandoned by every one else. Be 
thankful to him that you were not de- 
prived of your life in battle. He has shed 
his blood for you ; shed yours for him ! — 
Why should you not make him this sacri- 
fice ? It will be dear and precious to him, 
and you will certainly be rewarded for it. 
In a few little moments you will stand 
before his presence ; I offer up my prayers 



22 

to him for your pardon, and you, Sir, do 
not forget me in his abode. I take leave 
of you with tears in my eyes and a heart 
full of grief." 

The gaoler's wife informed me that the 
young man shed a torrent of tears on read- 
ing my letter. " I must die," said he, " send 
me a priest." That very evening he con- 
fessed, and the next morning he examined 
himself, and confessed again. The priest 
informed him, as well as his comrades, 
that they would not live out the day. M. 
Monet, instead of abandoning himself to 
despair, seemed to gain fresh courage. 
His trust in God took place of fear, and 
he proceeded to his execution some time 
after with the greatest composure. The 
Royalist who was commissioned to convey 
him thither, returned from the spot over- 
whelmed with grief. — " How you are 



23 

altered P said L— <f It is the effect of the 
pain which I have experienced," he re- 
plied ; " I have still before my eyes the 
death of Colonel Monet. The execution 
has made an impression on me which can 
never be effaced. These are the last words 
he addressed to his companions in mis- 
fortune : — ' My friends, there is not a 
single crime that we have not committed ; 
and the death which we are about to suffer 
is too mild to expiate them, and it would 
be useless to us, if it were not accompanied 
by a sincere repentance. Let us earnestly 
entreat forgiveness of our Lord, through 
the intercession of his mother, and let us 
raise our hearts to him ; let us join in re- 
peating a Pater noster and an Ave Maria. 9 
He then said his prayers with an affecting 
emotion, and having finished them he threw 
himself on his knees, kissed the ground, 
then rose and said to us ; — < My friends 



24 

do your duty.' He fell dead on the spot. 
" This is the first time," added the officer, 
" that I have been present on such an oc- 
casion, and it shall be the last." 

On the 5th May, 1793, the plan for 
taking Thouars was formed. Quetineau, 
who commanded the Republicans, after 
having lost the battle, shut himself up in 
the town with three or four thousand men. 
The walls, though old, were high enough to 
protect it from a coup de main. There was 
a moment's hesitation in the Vendean army 
on its arrival before the fortress. The 
enemy kept up a brisk fire from the top of 
the ramparts, which terrified our peasants, 
accustomed as they were to meet their foes 
face to face. Sapinaud was on the spot 
with Jhis division. Henry, who commanded 
that day, advanced to the foot of the wall 
amidst a shower of musket-balls. A pea- 



25 

sant, named Texin, followed him. " Carle," 
said Henry, " let me climb up on your 
shoulders." " With all my heart." " Give 
me your gun." " Here it is." Henry 
jumped up and seized a pinnacle of the 
battlement. At that instant a musket-ball 
struck him, and slightly grazed his cheek. 
The soldiers, at sight of the danger which 
their general ran, rushed forward with tu- 
multuous cries ; the place was carried, and 
General Quetineau surrendered with four 
thousand men. The Bishop of Agra was 
taken bearing arms, in the dress of a com- 
mon soldier ; he made himself known to 
M. de la Rochejaquelein, and told him that 
he had only taken up arms in the firm hope 
of passing over to the Vendeans. There 
was a considerable booty ; besides a great 
quantity of assignats, they found some 
pieces of cannon, balls, and magazines of 
military clothing. The Bishop of Agra 



26 

arrived that very evening at Mortagne ; he 
there received the visits of all the neigh- 
bouring clergy, and ordained several young 
men who were prepared for priest's orders. 

In order to give a degree of regularity to 
their operations, the generals formed the 
plan of establishing a superior council of 
administration, which should reside at 
Chatillon. It was composed of the Bishop 
of Agra, President ; M. de Bernier, priest 
of Saint Laud; M. Desessarts, Sen., M. 
de la Rochefoucauld, M. Jagault, and seve- 
ral others whose names do not now occur 

tome*. 

* The council was thus composed : the Bishop of 
Agra, President ; Michel Desessarts, Sen., Vice-pre- 
sident ; Bernier, Priest of St. Laud ; Bodi, a lawyer ; 
Michelin, Boutiller, de La Rochefoucauld, Lamaignan, 
Paillou, Lenoir de Pas-de-Loup, Philibert, Duplessis, 
Gendron, Coudraya, Brin, Bourasseau, Lyrot, de la 
Roberie, Carriere. Jagault was Secretary in chief, 
and Barre de Saint Florent, Secretary of Despatc 
(Note of the Editor J 



27 

It was also proposed to appoint a general 
in chief. M. Sapinaud and M. de Royrand 
came and slept in my house at Mortagne ; 
the other superior officers took a different 
route in order to proceed to Chatillon. The 
result of this assembly was the appoint- 
ment of Cathelineau to the office of general 
in chief. He was a man of uncommon 
bravery, and, under the rough exterior of a 
peasant, possessed the heart of a hero and 
the piety of a saint. 

In the beginning of June, the army 
marched towards Fontenay ; Sapinaud was 
to attack it with M. de Royrand, on the 
side next St. Hermine, and Charette and 
d'Elbee on the other sides. Chalbot, the 
republican general, had shut ^himself up in 
this town with a considerable number of 
troops. The attack was not well combined, 
and we experienced a considerable loss. 



28 

M. d'Elbee received a wound in the thigh ; 
four hundred Royalists remained stretched 
on the field of battle ; and, to complete 
our misfortune, Marie-Jeanne fell into the 
hands of the enemy, who pursued us closely. 
Eighty peasants fell gloriously on this occa- 
sion; M. de Lescure had placed them in a 
valley, with orders to maintain their posi- 
tion to the last extremity, and they had 
executed this command with admirable per- 
tinacity. After the defeat, the general sent 
one of his aides-de-camp to them with 
orders to retreat ; but the Vendean peasan- 
try, proud of having maintained their posi- 
tion, could not believe that the army was 
defeated ; their first impulse was a refusal 
to obey : however, after some hesitation, 
they commenced their march. They had 
scarcely gone a hundred yards, when they 
perceived a detachment of the Blues who 
were guarding the arms taken from the 



29 

Brigands*. They immediately poured down 
upon them, put them to flight, and seizing 
the cannon, fired a tremendous volley upon 
the enemy. Marie-Jeanne^ was there; 
they embraced it with tears in their eyes. 

Our generals, far from being disheartened 
by this reverse, prepared for a fresh attack. 
The necessary provisions were made, and, 

* Mad. de Sapinaud on several occasions gives this 
name to the partisans of her cause. — She of course 
does not use it as a term of opprobrium.— {Translator.) 

* Marie-Jeanne was one of twelve pieces of can- 
non which the Cardinal de Richelieu had placed at his 
chateau. It was covered with ornaments and inscrip- 
tions in honour of Louis XIV. and of the Cardinal. 
The Patriots finding this cannon at Richelieu, took 
possession of it, and made use of it against the Bri- 
gands. At the battle of Chollet, the insurgents took 
it from the Republicans. The peasantry held this piece 
of artillery in such veneration, that they looked upon 
it as a sure sign of victory. They had adorned it with 
ribbons, and embraced it with the greatest veneration. 
(Note of the Editor.) 



30 

after a few days' rest, the army marched 
again towards Fontenay. 

At a short distance from this town there 
is a plain of nearly a league in extent. 
The Republicans had taken their position 
there, and confidently awaited the Vendean 
army, elated with the victory they had just 
obtained. The command of the right wing 
was intrusted to Bonchamps ; Henry com- 
manded the centre with M. Domagne ; and 
Lescure was at the head of the left wing. 
The first discharge was murderous ; a great 
number of soldiers were killed on both 
sides. The Vendeans wanted cartridges ; 
a peasant begged some of his captain; 
" there are plenty there," replied the offi- 
cer, pointing to the enemy. Our men, terri- 
fied at the enemy's cavalry, had already be- 
gun to fly, when Lescure advanced thirty 
yards in front of the ranks, and shouted 



31 

fl Vive le Roi !" A shower of balls whizzed 
on each side of him without touching him. 
" You see, my boys," said he, turning to 
his soldiers, " you see the Blues cannot 
take aim." The peasants immediately 
rushed forward ; those who had no other 
arms than iron-headed sticks, flew to take 
possession of the pieces of cannon. The 
Patriots, disconcerted by this impetuous 
attack, sought' their safety in the walls of 
Fontenay; the Vendeans pursued them 
thither, and vanquished and victors hur- 
ried pele-mele into the town. Forty pieces 
of cannon, and an immense quantity of 
powder and ammunition fell into our hands. 
The number of prisoners was nearly three 
thousand, not including eighteen hundred 
Republicans killed and wounded, and it 
added not a little to the glory of the day 
that the Vendeans recovered Marie-Je- 
anne. 



32 

The army immediately marched for Sau- 
mur, which was defended by eleven thou- 
sand men. The position of this town on 
the Loire rendered it an important point for 
the Republicans, as from thence they could 
very quickly pass into La Vendee ; it also 
facilitated their communications with Brit- 
tany, and the province of Maine. Santerre 
commanded the Republican army. After a 
strong defence, the Vendeans entered the 
town, and the fort capitulated ; Domagne 
and the young Beaudry d'Asson fell on that 
occasion. Five thousand of the enemy were 
either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. 
M. de Piron gained immortal glory ; heat- 
tacked Santerre at Coron, and completely 
beat him. He owed his victory to an inha- 
bitant of La Salle de Vihiers, the church- 
warden of his parish, who, though he could 
neither write nor read, knew better than 
anybody all the hills, rivers, and winding 



33 

passes for five or six leagues round. The 
enemy's position enabled this man to es- 
timate his force, and discover his plans. 
M. de Piron, under his direction, arrived 
at Coron, without being perceived ; his 
little troop surprised and attacked the 
numerous army of Santerre, and completely 
routed it : the most important of the spoils 
were sent to Mortagne. 

In the meantime M. de Royrand pro- 
; ceeded with my brother-in-law in the direc- 
tion of Lucjon, in order to facilitate the 
intended expedition upon Nantes ; but this 
enterprise was unsuccessful ; in the midst 
of the attack, some soldiers of the regiment 
of Provence, whom Sapinaud had received 
into his ranks, went over to the Blues and 
decided the victory in their favour. Our 
peasants, alarmed at this partial desertion, 



34 

tied in disorder ; and my brother-in^aw, in 
the irritation of the moment, rushed three 
times upon the enemy's fire, with the in- 
tention of meeting a glorious death, but 
the approaching obscurity of night pre- 
served him. As he left the field of action 
he was encountered by two of the repub- 
lican cavalry, who taking him for one of 
their own men, accosted him with " Com- 
rade, where are the Brigands ?" Without 
making any reply, Sapinaud blew out the 
brains of one, and obliged the other to 
give up his horse. The army, which had 
passed over towards Nantes, also expe- 
rienced a check ; after several unsuccessful 
attacks, in which a great number of men 
were lost, Charette was forced to retire. 

Westermann, after having assembled a 
numerous army at Niort, advanced in the 



35 

direction of Chatillon, carrying fire and 
sword wherever he went*. In vain did 
Lescure and La Rochejaquelein endeavour 
to defend the heights of the Moulin aux 
Chevres ; the enemy entered Chatillon, 
and Lescure, compelled to fall back on 
Chollet, and alarmed at the progress of 
Westermann, summoned Bonchamps and 
d'Elbee to his assistance. We attacked 
the enemy during the night ; Providence 
favoured us, and gave us the victory. We 
took several pieces of cannon, and a great 
number of prisoners. 

After this victory, the Superior Council 

* " The Committee," says Barrere, in his Report, 
"has prepared measures which tend to exterminate 
this rebel race of Vendeans, to destroy their haunts, 
to burn their forests, and to cut down their corn. As 
the surgeon employs his knife on mortified wounds, 
so the sword must be employed as the same remedy at 
Mortagne, Chollet, and Cheinille, Destroy La Vendee, 
and you save the country. — (Note of the Editor.) 

D 2 



36 

entered Chatillon, and it was again as- 
sembled to elect a General-in-Chief in 
room of Cathelineau, who had died in con- 
sequence of the wounds he had received. 
D'Elbee was appointed to succeed him. 

The unfortunate Westermann was de- 
prived of his appointment. The general 
who succeeded him received the most 
severe and rigorous orders. After rally- 
ing his troops at the bridge of Ce, he en- 
tered La Vendee and proceeded to Mar- 
tigne-Briant, where he defeated our troops. 
On that occasion Bonchamps received a 
gun-shot wound which rendered it neces- 
sary to remove him to Jallais *. 

* It is said that this general, not being- able to find 
any one to dress bis wound, sent for a patriot sur- 
geon who was among the prisoners. The soldiers 
endeavoured in vain to persuade him not to trust him- 
self to the care of this Republican. Bonchamps, who 
was as generous as he was brave, did not partake in 



37 

D'Elbee proceeded in the direction of 
Lu^on, with the intention of avenging the 
affront which the Vendeans had sustained. 
Nine thousand Republicans, under the com- 
mand of Tuncq, were shut up in that town. 
D'Elbee attacked it at the head of twenty 
thousand men ; Sapinaud assembled his 
forces, and joined them to the army ; but 
in consequence of secret communications 
between the enemy and the prisoners 
who had been enrolled in our ranks, 
we lost the battle. Sapinaud, who com- 
manded the advanced-guard, perished at 
the bridge of Charron. He was betrayed 
by a deserter, and surrounded by a nu- 
merous body of men. Twice he rushed 
forward to attack, and twice he was 

the suspicions of these peasants ; he ordered the sur- 
geon to dress his wound, and it was principally to his 
care that he was indebted for his speedy recovery.— 
(Note of the Editor.) 



38 

repulsed and wounded ; at length he fell 
exhausted, was taken prisoner and cut 
to pieces. — " I die content, since I die for 
my king !" were the last words he uttered. 
Four peasants of La Verrie, of which he 
was proprietor, were killed in attempting 
to rescue his body from the hands of the 
murderers. This happened on the 15th of 
August, 1793 ; and to complete my misfor- 
tunes, I received on the sam^e day the news 
of the arrival of the formidable army of 
Mayence* 

Our generals immediately assembled at 
La Tremblaie, and held a council of war 
for the purpose of devising the best means 
of resisting the attack of the Republicans. 
D'Elbee reserved to himself the chief com- 
mand of the army ; Royrand continued to 
command the centre division ; Charette was 
opposed to the army of Mayence ; and 



39 

Bonchamps remained at the head of his 
division of Anjou. All these arrange- 
ments were of no avail against the enemy, 
who in a short time took possession of 
Machecoul, Villeneuve, and Lege, and 
pushed his advanced-posts as far as Mon- 
taigu. The roads were covered with wag- 
gons, and people were seen flying in every 
direction. 

We were threatened in the direction of 
Tiffauges by the army of Beysser, and in 
that of Torfou by Kleber ; the former had 
entered Montaigu, and the army of May- 
ence was advancing on Clisson. Our 
troops were concentrated for the purpose 
of first attacking Beysser. This was in 
the month of September, 1793. We had 
a numerous army and some artillery, but 
the number of our men rather embarrassed 
our operations. The battle would have 



40 

been lost had it not been for M. Charette. 
The peasants were already flying in 
disorder, when Charette drew his sword, 
and holding up his hat on the point of it, 
called out to his soldiers, — " My friends, 
since you abandon me, I shall go forward 
myself to conquer or die ; whoever loves 
me let him follow !" He put spurs to his 
horse ; his peasants followed him, shout- 
ing, " It is ours, comrades, the day is ours !" 
All the fugitives, on hearing the noise of the 
musketry and cries of victory, immediately 
returned, and combined so well in making 
the attack that the enemy's ranks were 
thrown into confusion. We entered Mon- 
taigu that very day, and found there a hun- 
dred thousand francs of Assignats, ammu- 
nition of every kind, and a considerable 
quantity of clothing which served for our 
own troops. We lost the brave Dupin in 
this affair, and Joly was wounded. 



41 

In the meantime, the army of Mayence, 
after taking possession of Clisson, threat- 
ened Mortagne. M. de Royrand arrived 
about two o'clock, and came to me;— 
*' Despatch a courier," said he, " to the 
generals to inform them that the Blues 
will be at Les Herbiers in less than two 
hours time ; I have knocked up my horse, 
and cannot go myself.'" — Sapinaud de la 
Verrie, who had succeeded to his uncle's 
post, was present, along with M. de Che- 
vigne, a Vendean officer of great merit and 
courage. My cousin immediately departed 
to rally his troops. I wrote to the generals 
to desire them to send immediate succour 
to prevent the Blues from coming out of 
Les Herbiers, but, either from the courier 
having mistaken the road, or from some 
other cause, they did not set out to come 
to us before the evening. The enemy 
during that time had taken possession of 



42 

the mountain of Les Alouettes, towards 
Tiffauges ; they also took a position in 
the direction of Chatillon, and blockaded 
Mortagne on three sides. The generals, 
on their arrival, perceiving that it was 
impossible to defend the town, directed all 
the artillery and ammunition to be cleared 
out of it, and came to the determination 
of falling back towards Chollet, in order 
to be able to pass the Loire, in case of 
accident. 

My troubles increased on the 15th Octo- 
ber. I had sent an express in the morning 
to La Blanchardiere, to apprize my children 
of the misfortunes with which we were 
threatened, and to advise them to seek 
their safety by flight; at the same time, I 
ordered a horse to be saddled to go and 
meet them, and in waiting the return of 
the express, I threw myself on my bed to 



43 

take a little repose. I had scarcely laid 
myself down, when they came to inform 
me that the Blues were entering on every 
side, and that nothing but immediate flight 
could save us. One of my maid-servants 
came into th$ room at the same time and 
confirmed the sad news ; the only thing to 
be done was to fly to the nearest wood for 
shelter. We had scarce entered it, when 
the roar of the cannon was heard in every 
direction, and from our station in the woods 
we could distinguish horsemen gallopping 
about and calling out to slaughter and burn 
every thing that came within reach. This 
tumult lasted till three o'clock. We saw 
two women running off at a distance. 
Perrine, who had accompanied me, went 
to meet them, and asked them whence they 
came ; — " Oh, Heavens !" said they, cc we 
have just been robbed by the Blues ; they 
took away all the money we had, and com- 



44 

manded us to return to Mortagne, adding 
that they were going to scour the woods 
and kill every one they found in them !" 
On hearing this, Perrine was anxious to 
quit the retreat we had chosen ; but for 
my part, I preferred remaining till the 
evening ; I dreaded falling in with those 
barbarians. At length, after sunset, we left 
the wood. Flames were seen in every direc- 
tion ; I expected to see the wood of Huguet 
on fire ; but what was my astonishment ? 
the ruffians had not even entered it : yet I 
did not dare to go through it, for fear of 
finding some of those wretches asleep in 
it. We proceeded to a hamlet not far off. 
I cannot express the terror with which I 
was seized on finding the doors of the 
houses open, and clothes and linen scattered 
about the street ; it immediately struck mo 
that the inhabitants must have been killed. 
We immediately left the village and hid 



45 

ourselves behind a very thick hedge. 
Perrine went to get me some water at a 
neighbouring fountain, for I was almost 
dying of thirst. She had scarcely left me, 
when I heard the sound of horses ap- 
proaching. I was very much terrified lest 
any misfortune should befall her ; but the 
Blues merely asked the way to Les Herbiers , 
and passed on without doing her any in- 
jury. Finding ourselves in greater security 
than before, and being very much pressed 
by hunger, we determined on going to 
La Blanchardiere, for I was anxious to see 
my daughter. We therefore commenced 
our journey, keeping as much as possible 
out of the way of the roads and the farm- 
houses ; but we could not altogether avoid 
the latter. The first we came to presented 
a terrifying spectacle ; the doors were wide 
open and the house was half burnt down ; 
the cattle and the sheep were lowing and 



46 

bleating out of doors, and the poor animals 
seemed to be calling for assistance. After 
passing this farm, we met a man and a 
woman with their little daughter, scarcely 
three years old. They told us they came 
from Le Mays, and that the Blues had 
ravaged the country in every direction* 
This man had been present at the battle 
of Chollet, and gave me some information 
respecting the taking of that town by the 
Patriots. He told me that M. d'Elbee 
had taken his position on the heights of 
St. Christophe-du-Bois, in the design of 
entering Chollet. At the commencement 
of the action, the battle had been favour- 
able to the Vendeans ; Bonchamps had 
penetrated the centre of the Republican 
army, and the ferocious Carrier, minister 
of the Convention, had just escaped being 
killed, when a charge of cavalry threw the 
Royal army into disorder* The generals 



47 

endeavoured in vain to arrest the flight of 
their men, and Bonchamps, at the head 
of a hundred horsemen, rushed into the 
midst of one of the enemy's squadrons, 
unwilling to survive the misfortunes of 
his country. He received a mortal wound, 
and would doubtless have remained in the 
power of the enemy, if M. de Piron had 
not come up at the head of five or six 
hundred Vendeans and rescued him from 
their fury. He added that the army was 
moving in the direction of Beaupreau, and 
that he was flying with his wife, because 
he did not know what might be the result 
of the battle. I left these good people, 
because they travelled too slowly to satisfy 
me, and my anxiety to see my daughter 
urged me forward. I had very nearly 
arrived at the end of my journey, when 
I heard a cry of — " Back, back ! There 
are seven Blues hid among the furze!" — 



48 

and at the same time I saw about twenty 
men and as many women seeking among 
the furze through which I was about to 
pass. One of the women recognised me, 
and told me that my daughter had gone 
away with her husband the day before. I 
was extremely mortified at this informa- 
tion, so much so that I fainted away ; 
upon which the good people carried me to 
La Mouriere, and put me to bed. About 
six o'clock a young girl arrived from Mor- 
tagne ; she told us that there were more 
than a thousand mem there ; that a great 
number of Royalists had been put to death, 
and that no quarter was given to those who 
had arms in their possession ; that her 
brother-in-law had been killed, as well as 
her sister, and that it was with great dif- 
ficulty that she had contrived to escape 
herself. She added, that the Blues were 
going to send out patroles about the neigh- 



49 

bouring country to set fire to every dis- 
trict. 

This news alarmed the inmates of the 
farm, and it was resolved that we should 
sleep out of doors. They carried out a 
blanket for me into a meadow some dis- 
tance off, from whence we could have a 
view of the house, in case the Republicans 
should come and set fire to it, while a 
large oak and a very thick hedge served to 
shelter and screen us from observation. I 
slept for nearly an hour, and found myself 
almost frozen with the cold when I awoke. 
I entreated the peasants to take me back 
to the farm-house, assuring them that as 
the Blues were in such small numbers at 
Mortagne, they would not dare to come so 
far. The good people yielded to my re- 
quest, and made a good fire which quite 
revived me. At day-break I bade them 

E 



50 

adieu ; and after thanking them for the 
generous hospitality they had shown to- 
wards me, I set off on my journey to St. 
Laurent. As I passed by La Ronde, I 
inquired after my daughter, and was as- 
sured by a Vendean, who was coming from 
Beaupreau, that she had crossed the Loire 
with her husband and children. This 
peasant was of the environs of Mortagne, 
and had been engaged in every battle since 
the commencement of the war. " Having 
a little cart of my own," said he, " I took 
my wife and my children, and departed 
with them for Beaupreau before the battle 
of Chollet. We had scarcely arrived there, 
when we saw the Brigands come flying 
through the place, and crying, ' Sauve 
quipeutP We soon decided what course to 
take, and proceeded towards St. Florent, 
in order to cross the Loire before the ar- 
rival of the enemy. A courier had already 



51 

engaged all the boats. I was told that 
M. de Bonchamps was mortally wounded ; 
and, indeed, I saw him carried by on a 
litter. Before he died, he set at liberty 
the remainder of the prisoners, to the 
number of nearly five thousand, and those 
wretches were no sooner free than they 
joined our enemies, and turned against us 
the arms which we were obliged to leave 
at St. Florent. The crowd was so great, 
that I had a great deal of trouble in getting 
my wife and children across. When we 
had got on the other side of the river, we 
could find no place of shelter, and were 
forced to sleep among the furze. The 
Blues, who were close at our heels, did 
not allow us long to remain at rest ; they 
pursued us as far as Grandville, where we 
lost a great number of men ; many of our 
superior officers perished on that occasion ; 
the brave M. de Royrand was wounded, 

e 2 



52 

and died eight days after; M. de Vaugi- 
raud was beside him when he died. His 
last words were these, — * I die content, for 
I have not survived our disasters; I ask 
pardon of God for my sins, and I hope 
every thing from his great mercy.' He 
had been in the service all his life, 
and wore the cross of St. Louis. M. de 
Verteuil was also killed after the passage 
of the Loire, as well as M. de Beaurepaire ; 
the latter had been severely wounded at 
the battle of Chollet. Madame de Mingre 
was in a carriage with the Demoiselles 
de la Tremblaie ; the carriage was over- 
turned, Madame de Mingre broke one of 
her legs, and the poor young ladies who 
were with her were obliged to continue 
their journey on foot. A great number of 
ladies of La Vendee, whose names I do not 
know, also perished at that fatal passage. 
Some were trodden under foot by the horses, 



53 

some died of hunger, others of misery and 
grief ; you cannot form an idea of the hor- 
rid spectacle which presented itself; the 
wounded and dying were seen extended here 
and there, stretching out their arms and 
lifting their eyes towards us, without our 
being able to render them any assistance. 

" On reaching the other side of the 
river, we found our situation still more de- 
plorable ; the defeat of the Brigands was 
complete ; they were all flying in different 
directions in the greatest confusion. I 
joined the division commanded by M. 
Henri, and my wife accompanied me to 
Ancenis, where we determined on returning 
to Mortagne. I chose a circuitous track, 
and by means of a large tri-coloured cock- 
ade, which I stuck in my hat, I succeeded 
in crossing the Loire, and have now almost 
reached my home." 



54 

I was greatly afflicted at the account of 
so many disasters. A multitude of melan- 
choly ideas presented themselves to my 
imagination, and I suffered the greatest 
anxiety from my uncertainty with regard 
to the fate of my children . What could 
have become of them after the passage of 
the Loire ? All the reports which were in 
circulation on the misfortunes of those 
who had followed the army to Grandville, 
were calculated to" afflict a mother's heart. 
I should at least have partaken their fate 
if I could have accompanied them, and I 
should have had the happiness of dying 
with them. I immediately set out for St. 
Laurent. 

Just as I was leaving La Ronde, I met 
the village-priest, a man who was highly 
respected throughout the surrounding coun- 
try for his great virtues, and with whom I 



55 

had been long acquainted. He was sur- 
rounded by several peasants ; I judged 
from his terrified expression, that some- 
thing extraordinary had befallen him, or 
that he had received some bad news. I 
went up to him, and asked him what was the 
matter. He replied that eight of the Blues 
had seized him at a short distance from his 
house, and one of them accosted him with, 
" Who are you ?" The poor priest was so 
terrified that he could scarcely answer, and 
one of the ruffians seized him by the collar, 
and demanded his pocket-book, which he 
surrendered. They then said to him, " Are 
you a priest ?" "Yes, I am." "You are 
the priest of La Ronde ?" " Yes, Gentle- 
men." " There is no such thing now ; we 
are all citizens ; come, we must kill him !" 
Upon this, the worthy priest fell on his 
knees and recommended his soul to God. 
Heaven inspired one of the soldiers with 



56 

compassion ; he addressed his comrades 
and said, " Come, we have done enough; 
we must not kill him. He has not deceived 
us ; he is no traitor. Get up, and go about 
your business." The old man rose, but his 
terror fixed him to the spot. Fortunately 
for him, the patriots perceived that their 
detachment was already at some distance, 
and hastened to join it, and some peasants 
coming up assisted him to return to his 
house. Notwithstanding the alarm I felt 
at what he had told me, I continued my 
journey towards St. Laurent ; on arriving 
there, I immediately went to the house of a 
female relative, who informed me that 
several ladies had arrived there from Beau- 
preau. While I was preparing to go to 
them for the purpose of inquiring after 
my daughter, my cousin, who was at the 
window, perceived a young woman at a dis- 
tance whom she look for Madame de Cha- 



57 

vagne, and exclaimed, " There is your 
daughter." 1 threw myself upon her neck 
and embraced her ; I knew not how to ex- 
press my joy. I hastened out with her, and 
we approached the object of our trans- 
ports. Alas ! it was not she. I said to 
her, " Ah ! Mademoiselle, you were taken 
for my daughter I" These words drew 
tears to her eyes, and she said to me, 
" Madam, I am not so fortunate as to have 
a mother; I have just lost her at Saint 
Florent. We were on the banks of the 
Loire ; the crowd was so great that my 
mother was hurried into the boat without 
her unfortunate daughter. I stretched out 
my arms to her and looked after her with 
tears in my eyes, when all of a sudden the 
boat upset, and all the passengers fell into 
the river. When my mother was taken 
out, she was found to be dead ; I spent the 



58 

night by her side, not knowing where I 
was, nor what I ought to do ! ^and in the 
morning some peasants assisted me in 
carrying her body to a neighbouring farm, 
where the last honours were paid to her 
remains." I endeavoured to console this 
unfortunate young woman, and left her in 
the care of the Demoiselles de La Roche- 
foucauld, who were about to pass through 
her canton. 

After staying some days at St. Laurent, 
without receiving any information respect- 
ing my daughter, my extreme anxiety with 
regard to her fate, made me determined to 
return to Mortagne. I was in hopes of 
being able to find some one there who would 
run the risk of crossing the Loire and bear- 
ing a letter to my son-in-law ; I was assured 
also that no harm would befall me, and 



59 

therefore I decided on going. My cousin 
and I parted, and shed as many tears as if 
we were never to meet again. 

I did not meet with any Blues along the 
road, but I was terribly alarmed when I 
arrived at Mortagne. The streets were 
full of Patriots and soldiers of the enemy's 
troops; several of them asked me, with an 
oath, who I was ? I heard a woman say to 
them, " she is a worthy lady." The very 
day of my arrival, in order to escape in- 
sults, I put on a disguise, and sent to the 
members of the municipality to beg them 
to come and see me, telling them at the 
same time that I had a favour to ask of 
them. Things were strangely altered, for, 
only a fortnight before, these very gentle- 
men came to receive my commands and to 
ask favours of me. My physician, who 
was one of the chief men of the commune, 



60 

came on my invitation ; I begged him to 
give me a certificate and a passport for a 
man, whom I wished to send to Beaupreau ; 
but this he refused. On the same day the 
cattle were removed from the Bois-Huguet. 
I immediately wrote to M. Lacour, whose 
life Sapinaud had saved, and whom I had 
maintained during the period of our pros- 
perity ; I wrote to him, I say, to ask the 
cause of this removal, and at the same time 
to beg him to inform me, whether there was 
any risk in my situation ; but he did not 
even deign to send me an answer. The 
doctor assured me, however, that I had 
nothing to fear, as I was under the pro- 
tection of the municipality. I did not think 
proper to trust these fine promises, and the 
after-events proved that I acted wisely, for 
all the women of quality who gave credit 
to the promises of these gentlemen perish- 
ed the victims of their credulity. The 



61 

commandant of Mortagne, a few days after 
my arrival, sent for Madame de la Soriniere 
and her three daughters, and the ruffians 
who were commissioned to bring them 
before him, first robbed them of the little 
they had remaining, and then insulted them. 
On their arrival at Mortagne, they were 
taken before the commandant, who was 
surrounded by a set of fellows as inhuman 
as himself. The poor ladies were half 
dead from the cruel treatment they had 
experienced. The eldest of the young 
ladies spoke to these tigers, and begged 
them to give a seat to her mother, who was 
very much fatigued. " She shall have 
some straw to rest upon," said one of the 
Patriots. This cruel answer opened the 
eyes of the unfortunate women to the hor- 
rors of their situation. " My children," 
said the mother, " we are led to our 
slaughter." — In fact, they were conducted 



62 

the next day, to Angers, where they perish- 
ed on the scaffold. Just as they were as- 
cending the fatal cart, a citizen proposed 
to the youngest, who was very pretty, to 
marry her, but she received the proposal 
with indignation, and replied to him 
haughtily; " would you have me marry 
one of the accomplices of my mother's mur- 
der ; — I prefer the scaffold to such igno- 
miny, and I thank Heaven for delivering 
me from a world which is inhabited only by 
monsters." On pronouncing these words 
she threw herself into her mother's arms, 
and after having affectionately embraced 
her, without shedding a single tear, they 
both rushed into eternity. Her sisters met 
their fate with equal courage. 

At the same period they brought to 
Mortagne, the Demoiselles de la Besse and 
de Lapiniere, together with a young lady 



63 

who was residing with them. Three of 
these unfortunate ladies were killed on the 
road by the wretches , and the fourth, 
Mademoiselle de la Guittiere, arrived alone 
and was sent to Angers, where the Revolu- 
tionary Tribunal condemned her to death. 

Madame de Vaugiraud, and Madame de 
Concise, were also conducted to Doue, 
where they died of want and ill treatment. 
Madame de Concise was thrown from the 
top of a staircase, and survived her fall 
only eight days. 

Instead of following the example of 
these ladies, and running the risk of re- 
maining at home, I left Mortagne at day- 
break, accompanied by Perrine. As there 
were no guards except at the door of the 
commandant, I found no difficulty in getting 
out of the town. I went first to La Verrie, 



64 

and entered the house of my unfortunate 
brother-in-law. As soon as I rested my- 
self a little, for I was very much fatigued, 
I sent for a peasant of the name of Simon, 
whom I knew, and who was greatly in- 
debted to my family, and I begged him to 
conceal me in his house. " Alas, Madam," 
replied he, " I would lodge you with great 
pleasure if I had not so many children, but 
I fear they would not be sufficiently secret ; 
however, I know two good old women who 
have got an upper and a lower room, and I 
will go and speak to them." He returned 
in high spirits to inform me that the old 
women would be able to conceal me won- 
derfully well, and that there would be no 
danger of my being discovered ; he went 
himself to prepare a bed for me in the 
room which I was to occupy. I was scarce- 
ly installed in my new lodging, than they 
came to inform me that the citizens of 



65 

Mortagne were coming for the purpose of 
searching the town. At the same time I 
heard the trampling of horses, and the 
song of 

Ah, 9a ira, 9a ira, 9a ira, 
Les aristocrates a la lanterne, 

sung by the riders. I recommended my- 
self to God, and as the good women of the 
house burnt nothing but resin, (which 
yields but a pale light,) I hastened down 
stairs. In a short time the Patriots came 
and knocked at the door, which was opened 
by one of the old women. " Does Godro 
live here ?" said they, entering the house. 
" No," she replied, " he lives in the other 
street" " Come," said they, " and shew 
us the way." I trembled like an aspen- 
leaf. The good woman immediately went 
out with them to point out Godro's house, 
and there the matter ended. However, as 
the Patriots renewed their searches every 



66 

day, and as I ran the risk of being dis- 
covered by the citizens of Mortagne, I 
thought it most prudent to seek another 
place of shelter. 

At this period, Charette and Cathelineau 
(Pierre, the brother of the general in chief,) 
were endeavouring to create a fresh insur- 
rection. They had communicated with all 
the neighbouring parishes, and Cathelineau 
had even advanced as far as la Gaubre- 
tiere. Simon brought me this information, 
and asked whether I did not think it would 
be best for me to join them. M. de la 
Bordeliere offered to accompany me, and 
was to meet me at midnight. I consented 
with joy to the proposal, and in the mean 
time threw myself on my bed, where I slept 
till night. One of the old women called 
me at ten o'clock ; I arose, and remained 
till three in the morning in anxious ex- 



67 

pectation. My patience was at length ex- 
hausted, and I sent one of the old women 
to Simon to ascertain the cause of the delay. 
She brought back word that Madame de 
la Bordeliere would not allow her husband 
to depart. — Singular destiny ! — That very 
day her husband was informed against by 
two peasants whom he had engaged to 
accompany him ; his house was surrounded 
by a score of Blues ; he was conducted to 
Mortagne, and thence to Chollet where he 
was shot. 

Simon came to me towards the evening 
to tell me that after this event it would be 
dangerous for me to remain at La Verrie ; 
that M. Cathelineau had gone away in the 
course of the day, and that the Republi- 
cans would shortly make a more rigorous 
search than ever, I was therefore obliged 
to make up my mind to depart that very 

f ^ 



68 

evening. The rain poured in torrents, and 
as we did not wish to take the high roads 
we were compelled to stop at La Gaubre- 
tiere. On the following day I recommenced 
my journey about six o'clock in the even- 
ing ; there was a high wind, and the moon 
which rose about nine o'clock, gave but a 
feeble light ; I was alarmed at the slightest 
noise, and fancied that a troop of Blues 
was coming to seize me. It was very 
late when I arrived at Les Landes,— where 
I was fortunate enough to enter a house 
inhabited by some very worthy peasants. 
They had three children ; the wife was a 
native of Angers, and made me pass for 
one of her relations ; they gave me the 
name of Fortin, and instructed me how 
to answer in the event of my being ques- 
tioned, as to who 1 was and whence I came. 
Alas ! I was far from wishing to go out : 
my legs were so swollen that I could not 



69 

walk up stairs to my room, or rather to 
my prison ; for such it really was. I did 
not dare to go down stairs, but spent 
whole days in the depth of winter in this 
room, which was dreadfully cold. As the 
parish of Les Landes is within the district 
of Montaigu, I had less to fear from the 
citizens of Mortagne. The Blues came 
into the village, it is true, and often even 
to the very house where I lodged ; but the 
children were always on the watch, and 
ran to tell me when they perceived them. 
On those occasions I went up into a little 
spare garret, where I was almost frozen 
with cold ; for we were now in the month 
of December. 

In the meantime, a few days before the 
commencement of the new year, (1794,) 
M. Charette advanced as far as Quatre- 
Chemins, at the head of twelve thousand 



70 

men. He even came within a short dis- 
tance of Mortagne, but there he was de- 
serted by more than half of his peasants ; 
the remai nder were either k illed or wou nded , 
and he himself escaped with great diffi- 
culty. After this signal disaster, he or- 
dered a novennary, or nine days' prayers, 
and a general fast to appease the wrath of 
God, and to obtain from his mercy success 
in the next encounter. At the same time 
he despatched couriers in the direction of 
Nantes to demand succour, and a large 
portion of the troops which were sent 
passed through Les Landes about nine 
o'clock at night. In spite of the state of 
the weather, which was truly dreadful, the 
good villagers took the lead to point out 
to them the most favourable roads. When 
the Patriots arrived, they hastened to in- 
form Charette of the circumstance, giving 
him at the same time an account of the 



71 

position and number of the enemy ; and he 
managed matters so well, that even after 
his first defeat, he was the victor at Les 
Quatre-Chemins ; so much so, that the 
Republicans used to call that spot their 
burial-place. At this juncture, Stofflet and 
La Rochejaquelein recrossed the Loire and 
formed an army at Maulevrier, which 
served to reinforce Charette. The enemy 
was thus obliged to divide his forces, and 
Cathelineau attacked him in the direction 
of Chemille ; at the same time Sapinaud 
de la Verrie recrossed the river with Jour- 
dan, and returned to his Canton, for the 
purpose of collecting troops. As soon as 
I heard of his arrival, I sent Madame 
Guerin, at whose house I lodged, to en- 
quire after my daughter. He sent me 
word that my daughter and my son-in-law 
were both in good health, but that my 
grand-daughter had died of the small-pox. 



72 

This information was far from satisfying 
me. Alas ! thought I, why have they not 
tried to recross the Loire ? Their fate 
should have been mine. But it was my 
unhappy lot to be left alone in the world, 
to be a solitary witness of the greatest 
horrors. 

On the 27th December, a young girl of 
the name of Corbete, was seized by the 
Blues, She was very pretty, and formed 
rather to inspire tenderness than fury ; the 
wretches endeavoured to seduce her. They 
proposed to conduct her to their com- 
mandant, promising her all sorts of riches ; 
but finding that she was deaf to their 
promises, they fancied that sufferings 
would render her more tractable, and com- 
menced their work of barbarity by tearing 
out her nails one after the other. The 
poor girl uttered the most piercing shrieks, 



73 

which were only answered by an exclama- 
tion of — "Well then, you little wretch, 
why don't you yield, and then we would 
give over torturing you." — " Do whatever 
you please," she replied, " my body is in 
your power, but my soul is in the hands of 
God, who will make me amends for all the 
torments you inflict upon me." They cut off 
both her breasts, and the unfortunate girl 
fainted away with loss of blood ; they then 
committed the most shocking outrages on 
her person. " Wretches," exclaimed a pea- 
sant, who had been attracted by her cries to 
the spot, "are you not yet satisfied with your 
barbarity towards this poor victim ?" One 
of the Blues immediately drew his sabre, 
and after pursuing him a long time, over- 
took and killed him. This horrible ca- 
tastrophe took place at Tiffauges (a league 
from Les Landes.) To complete my misery 



74 

I received information that the Brigands , 
who were on the other side of the Loire, 
had been defeated ; that the Blues had 
massacred an astonishing number of people, 
and that all the prisoners had been taken 
to Nantes, where they would doubtless be 
put to death. Judge of the grief I felt at 
this information ; I fancied I already saw 
my beloved daughter in the hands of those 
butchers. Gracious heavens! what tor- 
ture I endured ! I could not remain any 
longer at Les Landes, and determined on 
returning to Saint-Laurent, in the hope of 
being able to hear some account of my 
poor daughter. I therefore sent for the 
peasant who had brought me here, and 
begged him to conduct me toLaGaubretiere, 
where I proposed to stay at the house of 
a carpenter on whose integrity I could rely. 
I resolved on commencing my journey the* 



15 



next day, on which, as it happened to be 
twelfth-day, I thought it likely that the 
Blues would not come out of Mortagne. 

In the evening I announced to my hosts 
my intention of quitting them the follow- 
ing day. The good people endeavoured 
to detain me, but in vain ; my resolution 
was taken, for I felt the utmost anxiety to 
learn the fate of my children. I quitted 
Les Landes at mid-day, and I could not 
help shedding tears on parting with my 
worthy protectors. 

The wife of my conductor was in waiting 
for me among some furze ; the poor woman 
was murdered a few days after. Thirty of 
the Brigands crossed the Loire, and a part 
of them even went to sleep at Les Landes, 
where they were well received. The Pa- 
triots of Montaigu, as soon as they heard 



76 

of this movement, went there also. They 
killed the priest and his sister, together 
with a great number of women, and it was 
then that this poor creature was murdered 
in her garden with four children, one of 
whom was at the breast. She was found 
dead; the youngest of her children was 
still lying at her breast ; the others were 
stretched by her side. Her husband in the 
most distressing affliction brought me this 
sad news ; he added that the peasants of 
his village were going to take up arms and 
follow M. de Sapinaud, and he said he was 
determined to die or to avenge the death 
of his wife. 

On arriving at La Gaubretiere, I sent for 
the wife of my carpenter, who immediately 
came to me, and told me that Madame de 
Boissy was concealed in her house, and 
that she entreated me to go to her for a little 



77 

time. I followed her without hesitation, 
and found Madame de Boissy, with her 
two daughters. We embraced, with tears 
in our eyes ; my grief was increased at see- 
ing her in company with her daughters. 
" Ah ! madam," I exclaimed, u how much 
you are favoured by heaven ! You are with 
your children ; and I perhaps at this mo- 
ment am deprived of mine !" — She en- 
deavoured to console me, and told me that 
her husband had left La Borderie with M. 
and Madame d'Elbee and M. d'Hauterive; 
and that those gentlemen had taken refuge 
in the island of Noirmoutiers, which made 
her very uneasy, as she had been informed 
that the Patriots were on the point of 
taking possession of it. This news was 
far from diminishing my sorrow ; we took 
leave of each other, with tears in our eyes. 
The carpenter's son then led me to a farm 
to which his mother had directed him, 



78 



and where she expected I should be well 
received. 

Before I entered the house I discharged 
my guide and paid him ; a practice which I 
always observed. I found an old woman 
sitting by the corner of the fire. I saluted 
her, and begged her to give me a lodging 
for a single night, adding that I intended 
to depart early next morning for St. Lau- 
rent, where I had a relation who was a nun 
of La Sagesse. She replied dryly that she 
could not give me a bed ; I then said to her, 
" I do not ask you for a bed, but merely 
for shelter." " You had better go further 
on," was her only reply, I felt the tears 
starting into my eyes ; but resigning myself 
to my fate, I repeated & pater noster and an 
ave Maria, and threw myself with confi- 
dence into the arms of Providence. " My 
good woman," said I, " would you have the 



79 

kindness to give me a guide to another 
farm." The maid-servant, who was pre- 
sent, immediately offered to accompany 
me ; she helped me over a little stream, 
into which I might otherwise have fallen, 
for it was a very dark night, and led me 
within a short distance of a farm-house, 
the inhabitants of which were of a very 
different kind from those whom I had just 
left. The master of the house and his 
wife were seated near a large fire, sur- 
rounded by five children and two of their 
cousins. As soon as they perceived me, the 
man, who occupied the best place, rose and 
saluted me with great politeness ; I asked 
him to give me a lodging. " With great 
pleasure," he replied. I eagerly returned 
him thanks ; I was so much affected, I 
scarce knew how to express my gratitude. 
As soon as the two cousins had taken leave 
of them, the good woman threw her arms 



80 

about rny neck and exclaimed, " Ah ! Mad. 
de Sapinaud, is it you I have the honour to 
receive into my house !" Her children sur- 
rounded and caressed me ; they all assured 
me that they thought I was dead ; that they 
had been told I was massacred when the 
Blues first entered Mortagne. " Alas ! my 
good friends/' I replied, " Heaven has 
hitherto saved me from the fury of my 
enemies, but, from the bitterness with 
which they pursue me, I expect sooner or 
later to fall into their hands. " They gave 
me a good supper and a bed. I begged 
them to allow one of their children to con- 
duct me next morning to St. Laurent, 
where I was desirous to arrive by day- 
break ; the two eldest immediately offered 
their services. How thankful was I at that 
moment to God for not allowing me to be 
received at the last farm-house ! I slept 
very little ; about two o'clock in the morn* 



81 

ing I arose, and called the eldest son of my 
host ; " Come, John," said I, " let us de- 
part." What was my astonishment when 
he told me that it had been snowing the 
whole of the night ; that in many places it 
was more than a foot deep, and that we 
should find great difficulty in reaching St. 
Laurent ! I told him that I was determined 
on going, that I hoped he would give me 
his arm, and that by his assistance I should 
be better enabled to avoid the dangerous 
places : he immediately called his brother, 
and we set out on our journey. It was 
terribly cold ; the snow froze as it fell, 
which rendered it firmer. We were obliged 
to cross the high road from Les Herbiers 
to Mortagne, through which the citizens 
were almost continually passing day and 
night. One of my guides always walked 
about a hundred yards before us, to be on 
the look out, and in case of perceiving any 

G 



82 

danger, he was to return and inform us. 
My heart beat as I crossed the high road. 
As soon as we had got to some distance 
from it, I was obliged to sit down ; my 
strength failed me, and I was covered with 
perspiration, though it was so cold that the 
snow was frozen on my clothes. My con- 
ductors were equally insensible of the cold ; 
they sometimes carried me. We never 
went by the paths for fear our foot-steps 
should discover us, but kept along the 
hedges and ditches, and my legs were quite 
torn with the thorns. At length we lost 
our way ; the eldest of my companions ran 
on before us and perceived a house where 
he was known ; on their positive assurance 
that I had nothing to fear, I desired them 
to knock that we might warm ourselves a 
little. I was so tired that I could not walk 
a step. I desired the inmates of the farm- 
house not to discover me, and to call me 



83 

by the name of La Fortin, which I had borne 
ever since my departure from La Verrie ; 
the good people got up and made a good 
fire. After I had rested a few minutes 
I paid my guides and departed for St. 
Laurent. 

When I had nearly arrived at that place, 
I met a miller, and asked him whether there 
were many citizens in the town ; he replied 
that several inhabitants of Mortagne had 
passed the night there, but that he thought 
they would go away again. On arriving at 
St. Laurent I went to an old governess, 
who had formerly had the care of my 
daughter. On entering the house I found 
a man and woman there who were stran- 
gers to me ; I threw my arms round her 
neck and addressed her as my mother. She 
recognised me immediately, notwithstand- 
ing my disguise ; I was half dead with cold, 

g 2 



84 

and my stockings and petticoats were wet 
through. She gave me some soup, which 
I had great need of after my fatiguing 
journey. I told her that I had something 
to communicate from her brother ; the 
people who were with us then left the room, 
and her husband was out at work. When 
we were alone I begged her to find me a 
room where I could conceal myself, and she 
at length procured me an apartment at the 
house of Madame Gilbert, an honest pea- 
sant, whose husband had crossed the Loire. 
The day after my arrival I learned that M. 
d'Elbee, M. de Boissy and M. d'Hauterive 
had been shot in the island of Noirmou- 
tiers. When they were seized, M. de 
Boissy entreated one of his servants who 
had accompanied him to save himself by 
flight ; but the generous Vendean disdained 
to do so. " Do you think," said he to his 
master, " that I do not know how to die 



85 

for my God? — I will never abandon you." 
The Blues proposed to those three gentle- 
men, that if they would recognise the Re- 
public, no harm should be done to them. 
" You are brave fellows," said the republi- 
can-general ; " but," said he, turning to 
M. d'Elbee, " if our lives were in your 
hands as yours are in ours, what would you 
do to us ?" " Just what you are going to 
do to me," was the reply. On receiving 
this answer he directed them to be placed 
together, and ordered his soldiers to shoot 
them, which was immediately done. 

I learned at the same time that M. de 
Chevigne, who had lost his wife and chil- 
dren in crossing the Loire, had returned 
and rejoined Charette, who had entrusted 
him with the command of one of his divi- 
sions, but that on the very day of his arri- 
val, he had been killed by a gun-shot. 



86 

Madame Gilbert informed me also that 
the Blues were coming to St. Laurent, and 
that they would carry fire and sword every 
where, and would kill all those who had 
taken up their abode in that place ; they 
were very much irritated, for the Brigands 
had attacked them at Chollet, and had 
killed a great number of their men. 
M. de la Rochejaquelein was present at 
this attack, as was also Stofflet M. Henri, 
like a spirited young fellow, pursued two 
dragoons, who were flying ; he killed one 
of them, and his sword was raised to kill 
the other, when the dragoon begged for 
mercy ; he had scarcely granted it, than 
the ruffian, who had a brace of pistols at 
his saddle-bow, fired one at M. Henri. 
Stofflet and several other soldiers came up 
at the instant and cut down the dragoon, 
but the brave La Rochejaquelein was no 
more ; they took care to carry his body 



87 



out of sight, and to circulate a report that 
he was only wounded ; and his own soldiers 
did not know of his death until Sapinaud 
and Charette concluded the treaty of peace 
with the Republicans. I received this in- 
formation towards evening, and, as may 
be imagined, I spent but a restless night. 
The next day passed over quietly enough; 
but about seven o'clock they brought us 
word that the Blues were coming into the 
town, and that they had put the carpenters 
into requisition to repair the bridge ; my 
hostess made me get into a cock-loft, where 
I drew the ladder after me, and shut down 
the trap-door, w T hich, being situated be- 
tween two beams, was scarcely visible. 
The Blues, however, merely passed through 
the place, and proceeded to Maulevrier, the 
mayor of which town had sent for them to 
arrest two Brigands of Stofflet's army. I 
do not know whether fear produces sleep, 



88 

but that very night I slept till nine in the 
morning. We remained two days without 
any thing occuring, but we received very 
bad news ; the Blues had shot twenty-five 
men of Maulevrier, who were informed 
against by the Patriots of the place. The 
wicked mayor, whose name I refrain from 
mentioning, because he has children still 
living, and I think blame should be con- 
fined to the individual—- this wicked mayor 
accompanied the Blues to the houses where 
the Brigands were concealed, ordered them 
to be taken one by one, and conducted to 
a neighbouring field, where they were shot. 
The brave Vendeans died without uttering 
a single murmur ; I even believe that the 
greater part of them were very glad to be 
led to their execution. 

The account of this butchery greatly 
affected me ; I could get no sleep the whole 



89 

of the night. Next day we received infor- 
mation that the Blues were to sleep at 
St. Laurent that night, and would set fire 
to the town the next morning. The inha- 
bitants were all busily employed in getting 
their furniture out of doors, and I was 
compelled to seek another retreat. I went 
to the house of two old women, one of 
whom had been in my service, and begged 
them to take me in ; they were busy pack- 
ing up, and told me that they could not 
conceal me, but that there was an old 
woman of La Barbiniere lodging in a little 
coach-house without a chimney, at the back 
of their house, and that the Blues would 
certainly not set fire to it ; I begged one 
of the old women to show me the way to 
it. It was an old ruinous place, which 
had formerly served as a stable for a single 
horse ; the old woman who inhabited it 
had cleared awav a few bricks in one of 



90 

the corners to make a passage for the 
smoke, and there was a little narrow bed 
in one corner, so short that my feet pro- 
jected beyond it. However I was very 
happy that the poor woman agreed to re- 
ceive me, and I remained with her six 
days without meeting with any annoyance, 
though we were in daily expectation of the 
incendiary patriots, whose progress was in 
the meantime somewhat checked by the 
sudden re-appearance of M. Domagne at 
Cerises. This Vendean officer even ad- 
vanced sometimes as far as La Chapelle, 
a small parish not far from St. Laurent. 
He had crossed the Loire at St. Florent, 
and had proceeded in the direction of 
Nantes. Having been fortunate enough 
to save his money amidst the disasters of 
the times, when he arrived within a short 
distance of Nantes, he met with a peasant 
who was driving a pair of oxen which had 



91 

been entrusted to his charge ; he accosted 
him, and begged him to sell him the cattle 
and to change clothes with him, adding 
that he would pay him whatever he chose 
to ask. After some hesitation the man 
consented, and was very well satisfied with 
his bargain ; (I had this story from M. Do- 
magne's own mouth). Under this disguise, 
M. Domagne drove the cattle to their place 
of destination, and applied for a passport 
to return home, which was immediately 
granted. He said he was from Clisson, 
and, as soon as he had arrived at that 
place, he joined M. Cathelineau (Pierre), 
and afterwards returned, at very great risk, 
to Cerises, where he mustered his forces 
and took La Chatenaye before the Blues 
were aware of his arrival. He pillaged 
the store-houses which the republicans had 
established there, and distributed a part 
of the booty to his soldiers. Two days 



92 

after, however, the Blues having received 
reinforcements, came to St. Laurent, en- 
tered all the houses and committed dreadful 
outrages. I heard them pass repeatedly 
before the house where I was concealed, 
and on those occasions I threw myself on 
my knees in terror, and fancied I saw them 
standing over me with their drawn swords 
ready to kill me, as they did Madame de la 
Touche, a few days before, at la Gaubretiere. 
That unfortunate lady on hearing them 
enter her house, hastened down stairs with 
a bottle of wine, hoping to appease them 
by her politeness, but the first Blue who 
entered killed her ; her head rolled into the 
basin of a fountain in the court-yard be- 
fore her house. The approach of night 
delivered us from these murderers. I called 
Perrine ; she told us they would return the 
next day. ft Let us depart," said I, " be- 
fore their return ; let us go and spend the 



93 

day at Etourneau ;" this was a mill, which 
belonged to my children. The waters were 
swollen, and it was impossible to pass the 
bridge ; the servant, who had now become 
the master, was absent when we arrived, 
and there was nobody at the place except 
the maid-servant and a little girl of nine 
years old ; the former master of the mill, 
with his wife and eight children, had 
crossed the Loire. The servant had only 
returned eight days ago ; he did not know 
what had become of them. He had been 
told that his master, Beaulieu, had been 
murdered at Le Mans in the arms of his 
wife and his two daughters, that his wife 
had been carried to prison, where she died 
of grief and misery the following day ; but 
he could not believe this melancholy news. 
He appeared sorry at having quitted M. 
Henri, and seemed disposed to go and 
join him again. 



94 

At day-break, I left the mill, and went 
and hid myself among the furze. This 
was the longest day of my life. About 
two o'clock, I thought it was all over with 
me ; the field in which I had taken refuge 
inclined in a sloping direction, and was 
separated by a heap of stones from the 
high road to La Barbiniere. All of a 
sudden, I heard the sound of stones roll- 
ing, and a dreadful noise, like that of a 
mob of people coming down opposite to 
the place where I was concealed ; I thought 
I had been betrayed, and that the Repub- 
licans were coming to take me. I got into 
a hedge and covered myself with some 
furze, which I had cut down to sit upon ; 
I was half dead with fear ; the noise still 
approached me, and I was in the act of 
saying my prayers, when I heard the low- 
ing of a cow by my side. I immediately 
got up and took a large sprig of furze in 



95 

my hand for the purpose of driving her 
away if she should come towards me, but 
the animal passed close by me without 
taking any notice. These poor animals 
wandered at random like their masters, 
and like them too they returned to their 
stalls in the evening, for after sun-set there 
was no longer any reason to fear the Blues. 
I therefore got out of my hiding place and 
returned to St. Laurent, where I arrived at 
eight o'clock at night. The two succeeding 
days passed over without any accident, and 
I remained in bed until the evening. If 
the Blues had come, Perrine would have 
told them that I was her sister who had 
been long ill ; besides it was so dark in my 
little room, there was so much smoke, 
though they only had a fire in the morning, 
and my linen was so black, that I looked 
like a gipsy. There was a good woman in 
the neighbourhood, of the name of Jala- 



96 

bert, a nun, who often came to see me and 
showed me great attention. I endeavoured 
to acknowledge her kindness as well as I 
could. One day at the latter end of Janu- 
ary, about four o'clock in the afternoon, I 
heard a cry of " the Blues are coming!" 
I was with Perrine, who said, " I will go 
out to see whether there are many of them." 
" O Heavens !" said I, "stay where you are, 
there will always be enough of them to kill 
us ;" but I attempted in vain to detain her; 
she ran out and left me. I immediately 
went to Madame Jalabert, who was also 
out; in the state in which I was, it was 
impossible to recognise me ; I was com- 
pletely in rags ; I wore an old woollen cap, 
which had turned quite yellow ; I had put 
a crust of bread on one side of my mouth 
between the gums and the cheek ; I had 
blackened my eyebrows, and an old piece of 
linen, which I had tied under my chin, con- 



97 



cealed the half of my countenance ; besides 
all this* the tears, which had flowed almost 
incessantly for four months, had completely 
changed my appearance, so that it was im- 
possible to know me. As I was leaving the 
house, I was terrified almost to death at 
meeting four Blues who were coming in. 
u Stay, where you are, good woman," said 
they, " you seem very ill." I left them, 
however, without making any reply ; I 
found the door of my little room closed, 
and I was obliged to take refuge with my 
neighbour, whose house, which was very 
large, was full of lodgers ; a great number 
of Blues came into it. I sat down on a 
stone near the door, and saw sixteen sol- 
diers enter in succession, and lay down 
their arms in the house, saying at the same 
time that they must have some fire, for that 
they were very cold and very hungry. Each 
carried a bit of meat on his halbert and 

H 



98 

they called for water to wash it; I rose 
and offered to be their cook. They told me 
to draw some water and wash their meat, 
adding, that no one should make their soup 
but themselves, for that they would not 
trust the " rascally brigand-women." I 
was afraid from this beginning that all 
would go wrong with us ; but as life had 
now become a burden to me, I thought only 
of preparing myself for death. I had been 
assured in the morning, that my daughter 
and her husband had died in the hospital, 
and this information rendered me so in- 
different as to what might have become of 
us, that I stood calmly looking at those 
wretches, whose appearance terrified every 
one else around me. 

At the approach of night they command- 
ed that no one should stir out of the house, 
and threatened to shoot every one they saw 



99 

out of doors. As the lower room was full 
of soldiers, I proposed to some women who 
Were there to accompany me up stairs* 
where the Republicans were not so nu- 
merous. The mistress of the house was 
delighted at my proposition, for her cup- 
boards were full of linen, and she was 
afraid they might break them open to get 
at their contents. The commandant was 
seated near the fire, with his head inclined 
downwards, so that I could not see his 
face; he did not utter a single word* 
There were also three Germans, and a 
young man who seemed to be an officer, 
for the rest obeyed him. As we were near 
the door, and it was very cold, he said to 
us, " Citizens, come near the fire." My 
companions could not speak for terror. I 
replied that we were not cold. " You are 
terribly frightened/' returned he, c * are 
you not?"— " The sight of you," said I, 

h 2 



100 

and the torments you have inflicted on every 
one since you have become masters of La 
Vendue, are not calculated to inspire us 
with confidence." " To-morrow," he re- 
plied, " you shall all be shot ; at the same 
time those who choose to go to Mortagne 
or Chollet may have passports ; those that 
remain will be shot." " Citizens," said I, 
" I do not fear death ; you, perhaps, have 
been the cause of the death of all I held 
dearest in the world." Upon these words 
Mademoiselle Benore touched me with her 
elbow, and made signs for me to hold my 
tongue. " I do not fear death," I repeated, 
" I only fear the tortures which you delight 
in inflicting." "The women," he replied, 
" are all the cause of our misfortunes ; if it 
had not been for them, the Republic would 
have been already established, and we 
should have been sitting quietly at our fire- 
sides. Every one of you shall die." " If 



101 

it had not been for the women," said I, 
" you would have had fifteen of your men 
shot in this parish ; but they went down on 
their knees before the Brigands and en 
treated them to spare the men's lives." 
" Ah! how do you know that, citizen?" 
said he. " Because I was present myself," 
I replied, " and went down on my knees 
with the rest of them ; I told them that 
they ought not to shoot the prisoners they 
had just taken. < Who will preserve 
them?' said they. * Myself,' I replied, 
' and all the women in the town.' In fact 
they were left in our keeping. You see, 
citizen, the women have not always injured 
you ; if it had not been for them, you would 
never have entered La Vendee ; they have 
done service to you, and great wrong to us, 
for they have given up to you their country 
and their children." " You have plenty to 
say for yourself," said he. " Certainly," 



102 

I replied, " it is all I have left to do." 
" Come near the fire," said he. I rose and 
Stretched out my hand, desiring him to feel 
whether I was cold. " No," he replied, 
V but that is from fear." I was as hot as 
fire. 

At the same time he desired me to make 
a bed for the Commandant. My compa- 
nions did not dare to open their lips; I 
asked him whether he would choose to 
sleep in a small room adjoining, where 
there was a good bed. He went to examine 
whether it would do, and desired me to put 
clean sheets on the bed, which I promised 
to do immediately. The mistress of the 
house, who was present, and did not wish 
to open her cupboards in the presence of 
the Germans, said she had got no sheets. 
Without expressing the least surprise, I 
said to her. " Give me the key of your cup- 



103 

boards." She gave me such a look, that 
if my heart had not been almost bursting 
with grief, I could not have refrained from 
laughing ; she had a good deal of trouble 
to find the key, but at length she gave it 
me. I said to Mademoiselle Benore, " take 
a candle, and let us go and make the bed 
for the Commandant, he looks very tired ; 
though it is very hard to be obliged to 
serve these butchers." "Ah! my dear 
Fortin," she replied, <f I am so terrified, 
that I can stir neither leg nor foot." 
" Come, come," said I, " cheer up, my 
good friend ; to-morrow they will put an 
end to our miseries." After we had made 
the bed, we returned, and told them, that 
if their Commandant wished to take repose, 
his room was ready. He rose, and two of 
the Germans walked before him ; one of 
them carried a light, the other the Com- 
mandant's weapons, and the man who had 



104 

conversed with me offered him his arm. 
On their return they began to drink, and 
every now and then they turned round and 
swore at us. I expected that when the 
effects of the liquor began to operate, the 
wretches would murder us. I never felt so 
courageous in my life, and I told my com- 
panions so; I had a good knife in my 
pocket ; I was determined to make use of 
it if they should offer to insult me. In 
about a quarter of an hour, the officer asked 
me whether we would spend the night 
where we were, or go down stairs. I got 
up immediately. " You give us permission 
then, citizen?" said I.— " Yes, yes," he 
replied ; " go along, but do not attempt to 
escape. There are guards in every direc- 
tion. Do you know," added he, " whether 
the Brigands are at Maulevrier ?"-*-*< I 
know nothing about it, citizen," I an- 
swered. — " How far is Maulevrier from 



105 

here ?" — u Three-quarters of a league, citi- 
zen." — " What! so near?" said he. He 
then spoke by signs to the Germans, who, 
I think, did not understand him. I sus- 
pected him to be a monk, who had been at 
Mortagne, and who was called father Du- 
mont. I was very glad to get down stairs ; 
we had not eaten a morsel since noon, and 
yet none of us felt any inclination to eat. 
The mistress of the house, whose name was 
Bodrie, was so dreadfully afraid of their 
breaking open the cupboards, that she made 
herself quite ill. On going below, we found 
twelve Republicans stretched on mattresses ; 
three of the beds had been taken away, 
and carried into the garden along with the 
tables. Some were playing at trente-un, 
the others were asleep ; one of these 
wretches had a fever, and was continually 
uttering the most lamentable cries; the 
remainder were lying round the fire, and 



106 

talking of Charette, while my companions 
and I were seated on the ground by the 
window. I was on a little stone step under 
the window, and an old kettle full of ashes 
served me for a cushion. I listened to the 
conversation of the Blues. One of them 
said to his comrades, " We are going to 
burn and kill every thing that comes in our 
way, and then Charette will come at our 
heels, and kill us in our turn." " Yes," 
said another, " provided they don't send us 
to that cursed place they called the Quatre- 
chemins! By all the devils in hell, we 
should never get out of it alive !" I heard 
no more, for I fell asleep, and did not wake 
till day-break. My companions reproached 
me with having slept, when my death was 
so near at hand. " Alas ! my dear friends," 
said I, " if you felt the excruciating pain 
that I do, you would look forward to death 
as to the conclusion of your torments. I 



107 

am to blame, I confess, in not employing 
these last moments in appeasing the anger 
of God, by repenting, as far as possible, 
of my sins." While I was occupied in 
making these lamentations, the good nun, 
who had taken so much care of me, came 
in, and asked me how I had passed the 
night. She told us that she had not been 
able to close her eyes, and that she had 
overheard the most terrifying conversation ; 
that one of the Blues had boasted of having 
killed his father, because he was an aristo- 
crat ; and that another had in his posses- 
sion the tongue of a child, whose mother 
he had murdered. 

The Commandant entered at this junc- 
ture, and made a terrible uproar. " What," 
said he " not a locksmith or a farrier to 
be found in a town like this ; they have all 
hid themselves. If the Brigands had 



108 

wanted them they would have come fast 
enough." He then turned to us and desired 
us to run and find him a farrier ; he pro- 
mised that no harm should be done to him, 
and said we might bring him along with 
us. The nun, who was very courageous, 
offered to go and look for one. " Tell 
him," said the Commandant, " that I want 
him to open the door of the chapel where 
I intend to put all the grain I can find ; we 
shall set fire to the place at two o'clock, so 
take all you can out of your houses." — 
" What will be the use of that, Comman- 
dant?" said the nun, " since you intend to 
shoot us all." " Oh, but we will not shoot 
those who go to Mortagne or Chollet." 
" Yes, but we cannot depart to-day, citi- 
zen." " We will give you three days ; 
after which time we will return, and shoot 
all those that we find remaining here." 
The farrier arrived during this conyersa* 



109 

tion. The Commandant ordered him to 
open the door of the chapel ; and he di- 
rected all the grain and flour that could be 
found to be carried thither. Madame Ja- 
labert had a bushel of flour ; the Blues 
were preparing to carry it away, when she 
ran to the Commandant, and begged him to 
let her keep it. " In three days you will 
be shot, and you will have no need of 
any thing," was the barbarian's reply. — 
" But during those three days, citizen, you 
would not have us die for hunger ?" He 
turned his back upon her ; she returned to- 
wards the Blues, who, having seen her 
speaking to their Commandant, thought she 
had obtained permission to keep her bushel 
of flour, and left it behind them. 

We went into the garden, by order of the 
Commandant. It was almost mid-day ; we 
heard the drums beat ; we were told that 



110 

all who were informed against were con- 
fined in the church. As I was of that num- 
ber, I expected that if any of the inhabi- 
tants of Mortagne should happen to pass 
through the town, I should infallibly be dis- 
covered. Two Republicans arrived ; a weaver 
of the name of Bremon brought them to 
assist him in removing his son who was 
sick ; they placed him on a mattress in the 
middle of the garden. While I was in the 
act of stooping to arrange the pillows, I 
was astonished to hear myself called by my 
own name. " Madame Sapinaud," said the 
sick man, " how much I am indebted to 
you." " Wretched man," said I, " do not 
address me thus ; my name is Fortin." 
" Very well," said he ; "Fortin, be it so ; 
I am a priest. You see, therefore, I have 
no less reason to fear than yourself; do not 
abandon me, I beseech you ; stay beside 
me." I sat down as he desired ; Bremon's 



Ill 

wife and daughter came up at the same 
moment, and told us that they were begin- 
ning to set the houses on fire. We heard 
the sound of musket-shots, and a thick 
smoke began to rise from the houses ; I 
even thought that the fire of musketry came 
nearer. I fell on my knees, at the same time 
holding my head as high as I could, that 
the Blues might not miss me ; I expected 
to die, and I had made the sacrifice of my 
life. One of the wretches came towards 
me, and I thought that all the rest were 
following him. The flames of the neigh- 
bouring houses, and the noise of the fall- 
ing bricks and beams, made so frightful a 
clatter, that I could neither hear nor see 
any thing. The wretch came up to me, and 
snatched off my cap, I thought he was 
going to cut off my head ; but the girl Bre- 
mon was there ; she was young and pretty, 
and as soon as he perceived her, he left me 



112 

and ran towards her. " Who is that man 
lying there ?" said he. " He is my brother, 
who is unwell," she replied. He took him 
by the arm ; " Come," said he, " I am going 
to cure you." I thought he would have 
killed him. " What are you going to do?" 
I exclaimed ; " do you not see he is dying?" 
He then let go of him, and turning to the 
young Bremon, " Come here," said he, " let 
me kiss you." The poor girl defended herself 
as well as she could, and luckily her mother 
was at hand. I said to her, " Protect your 
daughter, while I run for assistance." In 
my hurry, I leaped over several hedges. I 
heard voices ; " Oh, heavens, if it should 
be the Blues !" I looked over a hedge, and 
saw something like women's caps ; I came 
up to them, quite out of breath, and found 
nearly fifty women assembled. Madame 
Richeteau asked me whether the Blues 
were gone away ; I told her that one of 



113 

them had seized the girl Bremon, and that 
her mother had great difficulty in defending 
her. As I pronounced these words, the 
young girl came up, with her hair dishe- 
velled, her handkerchief and cap torn off, 
and calling out with all her strength, " Go, 
for Heaven's sake, go, and assist my mo- 
ther! he will kill her." The cowardly wo- 
men looked at each other and said, " Will 
you come?" "Will you come?" — but no- 
body went. In the mean time the woman 
defended herself with great spirit. " You 
ruffian !" said she, " your comrades are all 
gone; if the Brigands get hold of you, 
they will kill you." At length she returned 
to her daughter ; but she had been dread- 
fully ill used, so much so, that she died a 
few days after. Her daughter threw her 
arms round her neck, and exclaimed, " Ah ! 
my dear mother, I ran away and left you ; 
he has treated you very ill." 

i 



114 

I returned, in company with several other 
women, to the poor priest ; he was half 
dead with grief at what he had witnessed. 
Some females, bolder than the rest, went 
to ascertain whether the Blues had really 
gone ; others ran to their houses, to see 
whether they were quite burned down, and 
to endeavour to extinguish the fire. Ma- 
dame Richeteau and Madame La Chene 
assisted me in carrying the priest into 
Bremon's house, a part of which had not 
suffered at all from the fire. " Alas !" said 
he, u they have not killed us to-day, but 
they told us that they would return in three 
days ; they had better have killed us all at 
once, than have left us three days in ex- 
pectation of our fate." I was of his opi- 
nion. As it was late, I returned to Bodrie's 
house, which had suffered little from the 
fire, in consequence of the commandant 
having slept there, and there were three or 



115 

four rooms still remaining. I found the 
good woman in a very ill-humour. On the 
first night she had not the command of her 
own house ; for as it had been less in- 
jured by the fire than almost any in the 
town, the people assembled there in 
crowds. I took Perrine with me, and she 
assisted me to remove a blanket and a mat- 
tress, on which we spent the night ; but 
I did not sleep so well as I had done the 
night before, with a kettle full of ashes for 
my pillow. 

At day-break Madame Bodrie prepared 
to take leave of all who were in her house, 
and began with myself. She stated as a 
reason that if I should be discovered I 
should be the cause of her death. I did 
not well know what reply to make or what 
course to pursue. Gaillard, the nun, who 
had a right to exercise some authority in 

i 2 



116 

the house, as her two nieces had hired the 
half of it, said to me, " Remain, I have a 
right to one room at least." I did as I was 
desired, and our hostess was so dreadfully 
terrified that she fell ill and died a short 
time after. Gaillard's brother, on hearing 
of the arrival of the Blues, ran and hid 
himself among the furze bushes, along 
with a friend of his named Flandry, who 
was blind. The Patriots discovered them 
and took them to the church, where they 
were shot. We persuaded the nun that 
her brother had gone to join the army of 
the Vendeans. 

On entering the town the incendiaries 
killed a farmer who had been driving a 
waggon for them. His wife hearing a gun 
shot went out to see what had happened, 
and was horror-struck at finding her hus- 
band stretched dead on the ground, with 



117 

the blood gushing in torrents from a wound, 
which he had received on his head. She 
fainted away, and the oxen continued to pro- 
ceed without a driver. Luckily the mayor 
came up and led them to the farm-house ; 
though he was a citizen, he could not re- 
frain from shedding tears : he even assisted 
in removing the farmer's wife. The unfor- 
tunate woman died a few days afterwards, 
and one of her sons, who was with the 
waggon, was also killed. On hearing of 
the death of his mother, he threw away his 
whip and attempted to escape, but one of 
the wretches fired after him and killed him 
on the spot. All these catastrophes took 
place at a short distance from the garden, 
where we had taken refuge ! Every one 
was in tears. The cattle returned and con- 
tinued lowing at their masters' doors. Oh ! 
how different was this from those tranquil 
and happy evenings, when I used to see the 



118 

herds coming down to the sound of flutes 
and drums towards their stalls ! As soon as 
the angelus sounded, the women used to 
leave their distaffs and fondly bring out 
their little children to meet their returning 
husbands. The little creatures ran delight- 
ed into their fathers' arms, and they went 
all together to the Temple of their Saviour 
to place themselves under the protection of 
the Virgin. Such happy recollections in- 
crease my pains, from the loss of hope, 
which alone can animate the heart. Oh ! 
Heavens ! never shall I forget that dreadful 
day. 

Two days passed amidst these inexpres- 
sible torments, and the third day was anxi- 
ously expected. The Blues had promised 
to return in the evening ; a woman from 
La Verrie arrived, and told us that the in- 
cendiaries had done nothing but rob and 



119 

murder, and that it was their intention to 
carry fire and sword every where. I feared 
they would kill my grandson, who was con- 
cealed in that town ; and to increase my 
misery, I did not dare to inquire after him 
for fear of discovering myself. "Alas!" 
thought I, " of what use will it be to ask 
after his fate ; if I find that he is dead it 
will only increase my misery ; it will be 
better for me to pray the Lord to preserve 
him ; besides, if he is dead, I shall doubt- 
less share the same fate in a few days." 
On leaving La Verrie the incendiaries did 
not come to St. Laurent, but went to La 
Gaubretiere, where they did not remain 
long, for they were afraid of Charette, who 
was not far off. They murdered nearly 
three hundred women in the wood of Beau- 
repaire, and were very near killing Mad. 
de Boissy, with her two grand-daughters. 
This lady had hid herself among the furze ; 



120 

a citizen discovering them, went up to them 
and said, " The column is about to pass, if 
they see you they will kill you ; lie down 
on the ground and do not stir ; I will go 
and tell them that I have seen nothing in 
this direction/' Some of them were hu- 
mane, particularly among the Germans, 
w r ho would not kill the women, though 
they gave no quarter to the men. On 
leaving La Gaubretiere, they intended to 
have gone to Chambreteau for the purpose 
of setting it on fire, but an extraordinary 
courier arrived at two o'clock with strict 
orders for the suspension of the massacres. 
We were soon informed of this happy news, 
which afforded us a ray of hope. Alas ! our 
happiness was of short duration! The 
citizens of Mortagne came almost daily to 
St. Laurent, on their way to Maulevrier, 
so that I was terribly frightened. They 
generally arrived about eleven o'clock, and 



121 

then all, who, like me, had been informed 
against, were obliged to conceal themselves. 
I generally took refuge in an old ruinous 
house, almost filled with dung. I used to 
get up on part of an old floor, and remain 
there until they had gone through the town. 
One day two Blues passed in front of the 
place, and one of them said to his comrade 
" Come, let us see whether there is any 
thing inside here." I thought it was all 
over with me ; but the other replied, " non- 
sense, what do you want to do in the dung ? 
come along." These words saved my life. 
I heard the noise of their steps for a long 
time ; for they walked round the building, 
and I fancied a short time after that I could 
distinguish the sound of a woman's voice. 
When I left my hiding-place I was always 
careful to seize some favourable moment 
when I could slip by without being per- 



122 

ceived. Oh ! how long those days appeared 
to me ! 

A fortnight had elapsed since the burn- 
ing of St. Laurent, when we received in- 
formation of the arrival of the Brigands ; 
their plan was to attack Mortagne. This 
news was far from being agreeable to me, 
for I fancied, as soon as the Blues were in- 
formed of it, they would finish burning the 
few houses which remained. The Brigands 
did not arrive, but advanced as far as Mau- 
levrier, where the Blues, who did not think 
they were so close at hand, no sooner per- 
ceived them than they fell back towards 
Mortagne, passed through St. Laurent, and 
returned the next day with two thousand 
men. 

As soon as they appeared, every one fled 



123 

from this town. We were informed of 
their arrival by a mason of the name of 
Jencheleau, who ran into the house where 
I was, and exclaimed, " The Blues are 
coming! I have no time to go further ; you 
must let me hide myself here." He imme- 
diately lowered the top of the bed, which 
was on springs, and by means of a little 
ladder, which he had brought with him, he 
raised a trap-door, which was concealed 
between two beams, and ascended ; I fol- 
lowed him : we drew up the ladder and the 
top of the bed, and awaited the result of 
the arrival of this Republican division. 
The enemy on entering the town fired a 
volley of musketry, and the balls fell in 
showers on the roof under which I was 
concealed. I said to Jencheleau, " If there 
should be any holes in the roof of the house 
the balls are as likely to kill us here as 
out of doors." He could scarcely answer 



124 

me ; I thought he was going to faint, and 
I endeavoured to revive him. " Come," 
said I, " Jencheleau, let us devote to God 
the few moments which remain to us ; the 
Blues will no doubt set fire to the house, 
when they have killed the few Vendeans 
who remain in this town, but if we die by 
force, remember that our Saviour died for 
us of his own free will ; he will recompense 
us in heaven for all that we suffer on earth ; 
and do you think we shall not be a hun- 
dred times happier then, than we are now, 
placed as we are between life and death f J 

We heard so great a noise from the 
horses' feet that we concluded the Patriots 
were very numerous, and that they would 
destroy every thing ; but in the mean time, 
a citizen of Maulevrier came and advised 
them to put themselves on their guard, 
for that Stofflet and Marigny had rallied 



125 

their forces, and were advancing towards 
Chollet. This information obliged them 
to return speedily to Mortagne, in order 
to oppose the Brigands. They imme- 
diately beat to arms. I advised Jencheleau 
to take courage, and told him that our 
enemies would probably soon depart. I 
looked through a small aperture, and saw 
them cross the bridge. I then persuaded 
him to get up, and assured him there 
was nothing more to fear. The peasant 
got up and looked out himself, but just 
as he had placed his eye at the aper- 
ture, the discharge of a musket so ter- 
rified him that he fell flat on the ground. 
At the same time I could distinguish at a 
distance the sound of groans like those of 
a man who had been shot, and an excla- 
mation of, " Oh ! for God's sake, despatch 
me ! I am undone !" — These cries made 
me shudder, and I remained nearly a 
quarter of an hour without daring to stir, 



126 

At length the noise entirely ceased, and on 
looking out, I saw a woman in the street, 
which completely removed our fears ; the 
Blues had really departed, and we were 
again saved. Jencheleau's wife then came 
to call her husband. 

Nothing else occurred during the three 
following days, but on the fourth, about 
two o'clock we heard a cry of " The Blues 
are coming!" There was no time for 
escaping, for they arrived the very instant 
their presence was announced. I climbed 
however into my cock-loft, while a number 
of women assembled in the room below ; 
and thus we awaited our fate. I had 
scarcely got up into the loft, than I heard 
a musket-shot. " My God !" said I, " one 
of my companions has certainly been killed !" 

At the same time there was a general 
cry of "To arms ! to arms ! the Brigands 



127 

are coming !" — I looked through my 
little aperture and saw the Blues hur- 
rying towards the bridge ; I thought 
the Brigands had really arrived, and 
hastened down from my hiding place. 
The nun was below stairs ; I asked her 
what had taken place, "Oh! my dear 
Fortin," said she, " while you were in the 
loft, four of those wretches entered the 
room below, and said to us, 6 Brigand wo- 
men, why have you not left the town ? come 
forward, you must be shot !' I then ad- 
dressed myself to one of them who did not 
look quite so bad as his comrades. ' What, 
Citizen,' said I, ' will you kill me V — 
upon which another of the fellows ex- 
claimed, < these Brigand women must all 
be shot ! Why did you not go to Mortagne 
or Chollet V — My dear Fortin, I never was 
so terrified in my life. They had even 
dragged us out of the house to our execu- 



128 

tion, when the sudden discharge of a mus- 
ket saved our lives. A Brigand had con- 
cealed himself behind a wall, but fearing 
to be surprised by the Blues, he attempted 
to climb to the top of it, and threw his gun 
over first in order to accomplish his purpose 
the more easily. The gun in its fall went 
off and put the incendiaries to flight. This 
single fact is a sufficient proof of the bra- 
very of the Republicans/' 

On their arrival at Mortagne, they did 
not fail to report that the Brigands had 
surrounded St. Laurent, and for three days 
the inhabitants of that town were in the 
greatest alarm, expecting every moment to 
see us arrive. 

As soon as they had recovered from the 
first impulse of terror, they ventured to 
return. It was about three o'clock on Ash- 



129 

Wednesday, when we heard the sound of 
the bells which were attached to the dogs 
they sent forward ; for the Blues generally 
took about a dozen dogs with them when 
they went to any distance from Mortagne. 
These animals were employed for the pur- 
pose of hunting out those who were con- 
cealed. We hastened out of doors, and we 
had scarcely reached the middle of the 
street when we perceived our enemies gal- 
lopping at full speed, and shouting, "Vive 
la Republique !" I saw a young girl named 
Catherine at a door ; I said to her, " Every 
body is flying, and yet you remain V — " I 
have a sister, " she replied, " who is lying 
ill, and I will not abandon her." — " Well 
then !" said I, " I will remain with you." 
I went up a half-burnt staircase into a 
small room which had escaped the fire ; her 
sister was in bed, and had a fever. She 



130 

said to me, " Are you come to die with us?" , 
— "Yes, my dear child," I replied. Our' 
enemies soon made their appearance, cry- 
ing, " Where have these Brigand women 
got to f 9 They searched in every direction, 
pillaged every thing they could find, and 
broke and burned all that they could not 
carry away. However they did not set fire 
to the houses. Whenever they passed 
before the place where I had taken shelter 
I thought they would have come up and 
killed us. At length about nine o'clock at 
night they went back to Mortagne, at least 
we heard nothing more of them after that 
hour. As soon as they were gone, I said 
to Catharine, " Let us depart ; they will no 
doubt return to-morrow, and though we 
have, escaped their fury to-day, who knows 
whether we shall have the same good for- 
tune then ?" She acceded to my proposition 



131 

and after having made a little packet of 
the things she thought she might have the 
most occasion for, we departed. 

We had scarcely walked a quarter of a 
league when we heard an exclamation of 
" Surrender, Brigand, or you are a dead 
man !" We stopped and listened, but 
hearing no further noise, we recommenced 
our journey and arrived at La Chapelle. 
Madame de la Vicendiere, who was re- 
lated to my children, and whose son after- 
wards distinguished himself among the 
Royalists, had come there for a few days ; 
she had contrived to keep out of the way 
for three weeks, but the Blues at length 
forced her to fly, set fire to the farm in 
which she was concealed, and killed the 
farmer. 

The son of my hostess, who served under 

k 2 



132 

Stofflet, had just obtained leave of absence ; 
he informed us that his general had beaten 
the Blues at La Tour, on Shrove Tuesday, 
and that he and his men had refreshed 
themselves with the victuals, which had 
been prepared by the Republicans. He 
told us also that Stofflet had carried off the 
barrels of wine and brandy, which he had 
taken, and established in the forest of 
Vezin a hospital for the wounded. Wo- 
men were employed to wash their linen, 
and make lint for their wounds, and 
priests were appointed to attend to their 
spiritual welfare. A vigilant guard and 
two pieces of cannon were stationed at the 
door of the hospital. Mills had been 
erected, by order of the general, to grind 
the corn, and huts had been built for the 
workmen. As active in repose as he was 
courageous in battle, Stofflet provided for 
every thing. His soldiers always beheld 



133 

him in the midst of danger ; but he was 
inexorable towards those who were de- 
ficient in valour, or who had recourse to 
plunder after victory. The young man left 
his mother when his term of absence had 
expired, and she seemed to take leave of 
him with indifference, but as soon as he 
was out of sight, she gave way to her tears. 
" He is the only one I care for in this 
world," said she ; " if he should die, I will 
not long survive him." 

The three royalist chiefs had effected their 
junction, and the Blues believed that the 
royalist army amounted to twenty thousand 
men s whereasitdidnotexceed two thousand. 
The enemy, notwithstanding, came to Mor- 
tagne to escort some patriot refugees. They 
constructed fortifications there, and in- 
tended to construct some at Chollet also ; 
but Stofflet and Marigny interrupted these 



134 

labours, and driving the Blues from the 
town, entered it in triumph. The Repub- 
licans revenged themselves by setting fire 
to all the mills in the neighbourhood, and 
if it had not been for those which Stofflet 
erected in the forest of Vezin, the Royalists 
must have died of hunger. Sapinaud and 
Marigny, who had at first experienced a 
check, returned to the siege of Mortagne. 
Every thing was in readiness for the at- 
tack, and success appeared certain, when 
the enemy, under favour of the night, 
evacuated the town, and the Royalists en- 
tered in the beginning of March. 

At this period the Blues killed the young 
Mademoiselle de Marmande, in one of their 
visits to St. Laurent, and sacrificed Made- 
moiselle de Bodrie in the flames of her own 
apartment. My two maid-servants, who 
had long been separated from me, came to 



135 

meet me at La Chapelle, and informed me 
that the incendiaries were advancing. I 
left my benevolent hostess with regret, and 
proceeded towards Treizevent. Charette 
came up to oppose the ravages of the in- 
cendiaries ; but while he protected the 
country, he took from the peasants what 
little subsistence they enjoyed. Hence his 
soldiers were termed the Black Sheep. 
Whether through friends or foes the cot- 
tagers were equally the victims of war, 
and their misfortunes were equalled only 
by their courage and fidelity. Charette, 
who took an interest in my safety, sent to 
advise me to retire to Chateau-Mur. On 
my way there I passed by Moulins ; never 
was place better named than this, for the 
least breath of wind must have sufficed to 
turn a mill upon it. 

On arriving at Chateau-Mur, I had time 



136 

to breathe a little after my long and painful 
fatigues. I had already been three weeks" 
there, when M. de Marigny, pale and ex- 
hausted, unexpectedly entered the room 
where I was. I thought he had met with 
some misfortune, and I felt very great anx- 
iety. " Ah! Madam," said he, embracing 
me, " I thought you had been no longer 
alive, and the report of your death has 
caused me many a tear. I have behaved 
very ill towards you, and I have come to 
ask your pardon. (M. de Marigny, in op- 
position to my directions, had persisted in 
putting his horses into my stables at Mor- 
tagne, which were entirely occupied by 
those of the other royalist officers ; but I 
had quite forgotten the circumstance.) 
Why," continued he, " did we not follow 
your advice ; we should not then have 
crossed the Loire. Why, after having 
crossed it, did we not return to La Vendee, 



137 

when we were triumphant at Laval ? I should 
not then have been as I now am, on the 
eve of my death. I have been through life 
the victim of my vivacity, and I have com- 
mitted many faults ; but that which I have 
just been guilty of, will be fatal to me. 
We had assembled at Jallais, where we 
formed a determination to undertake no- 
thing without the concurrence of the three 
armies ; we had even sworn, under pain of 
death, in case of disobedience, to submit to 
Charette in whatever he should recommend 
to us for the destruction of the incendiaries. 
A day was appointed for the attack, and 
the line of march was marked out for us. 
The place of rendezvous was fixed, and we 
were all to assemble there at the same 
hour, and to surround and attack the in- 
cendiaries at the same moment. After my 
departure, I fell in with a small village on 
the road where they sold excellent wine, 



138 

and we were tempted to drink a great deal 
too much of it. I had some farms near 
Ceriseau, which had escaped the general 
conflagration ; my officers, who were from 
the neighbourhood, and who had their pro- 
perty near the village, advised me to go 
there, which they said would be better 
than joining the other divisions, and 
marching towards Coron, where not a 
single house, not even the poorest cottage, 
had escaped the fire. Being under the in- 
fluence of wine, I allowed myself to be 
guided by their counsel, and was unfaithful 
to my oath. Stofflet and Charette have 
judged my conduct worthy of death ; if it 
had not been for me, they say, the incen- 
diaries could not have escaped. It was 
decided that I should be tried by a council 
of war, and I have been condemned to be 
shot. That Stofflet is a mere brute, he is 
a vulgar fellow ; Charette appeared less 



139 

vindictive, but Sapinaud was the only one 
who pitied me." " Stofflet may be a man 
of low birth," I replied, " but you must al- 
low that he is able to command. Write to 
Charette ; as for Sapinaud, you have no- 
thing to fear from him." He bade me 
adieu in the greatest sorrow, and I felt for 
his situation. The next day, Charette sent 
two couriers to Chateau-Mur to discover 
what had become of M. de Marigny ; they 
asked me whether I had not seen him ; I 
replied in the negative, and told them that 
I did not know where he was. 

A few days after, the advanced guard of 
the Brigands arrived at Chateau-Mur; they 
were taken for the Blues, and there was a 
general alarm, when all of a sudden the 
people called out " It is the Brigands!" and 
the women all burst out a-laughing. The 
army soon followed the corps which had 



140 

advanced before it. M. Fleuriot and M. 
Charette came to see me ; I availed myself 
of the attachment which Charette had 
always shown towards me, to obtain M. de 
Marigny's pardon ; he promised it, but 
he soon forgot his promise. M. de Ma- 
rigny was obliged to keep beyond his reach 
and retired to the abode of his fathers ; his 
grief accompanied him there, and he fell 
seriously ill. The inhabitants of Cerisais, 
who adored him, continually went to in- 
quire after him. At length his strength 
and courage triumphed over his disorder ; 
his convalescence excited a pleasure equalled 
only by the grief which had been produced 
by his illness ; and he w r as just beginning to 
enjoy it, when Stofflet had him arrested by 
the Chasseurs, He was inexorable. Alas ! 
how could he resolve on depriving the King 
of so devoted a subject, and his country of 
one of her most valiant defenders ? 



141 

Charette, who was formerly so humble 
and so modest, was now scarcely recog- 
nizable ; his hat was ornamented with 
feathers, his cravat edged with lace, his 
violet-coloured suit was embroidered with 
green silk and silver, and a number of 
young and handsome women formed his 
train. During the first war he had pre- 
sented a model of every virtue, and parti- 
cularly that of an exemplary piety. It was 
not uncommon for people to say on the re- 
turn of Monday, " This is the day of Cha- 
rette's triumph ;" for on that day, after 
having ordered several masses to be said, 
he had obtained a complete victory at Les 
Quatre-Chemins. 

This general's rear was not so brilliant as 
his advance-guard. The former was ac- 
companied by a number of women from the 
marshes, who had been fortunate 'enough 



142 

to escape the fury of the flames and the 
sword. They were for the most part bare- 
footed, and both themselves and their little 
children were covered with rags ; their 
husbands had been killed and their cot- 
tages burned ; and they had no prospect of 
hope for the future, nor any other refuge 
than an army which was every moment in 
danger of becoming a prey to the enemy. 
I pitied them greatly ; perhaps, thought I, 
this is the fate of my poor daughter ; if, 
indeed, she is still alive. The repose which 
I had enjoyed at Chateau-Mur was not of 
long duration ; the Blues returned there on 
Whit-sunday. I quitted it along with a 
great number of the inhabitants before 
their arrival. The unfortunate mothers 
took with them their dearest treasures, 
their children, who followed them with 
difficulty, and cried aloud ; others carried 
their children in their arms, and the poor 



143 

little infants, too young to know their fate 
and the affliction of their mothers, returned 
their tender caresses with a smile. My 
maid-servants and myself, who travelled in 
the disguise of countrywomen, shared with 
these unfortunate creatures the brown bread 
and butter, which we carried in our wallets. 
The relation which I have given of the dis- 
astrous scenes of St. Laurent, and those I 
have just described, which were continually 
recurring in La Vendee, — added to the grief 
occasioned by the death of beloved objects, 
or by the absence of relatives, who had 
been forced to quit their homes, and the 
misery caused by the disappointment of the 
dearest hopes, — dreadful as such recitals 
are, will afford but a feeble idea of our 
misfortunes. I learned that there was now 
a greater degree of tranquillity at St. Lau- 
rent, where my affections still attracted me, 
and I was at length enabled to retire to La 



144 

Barbiniere. But who can describe the sor- 
row I felt on entering those now empty 
apartments, where I had so often embraced 
my daughter and her little children ! 

In several battles Charette obtained vic- 
tories, which seemed almost miraculous. 
At one moment his power would seem to be 
annihilated, and the next he would appear 
again with greater boldness than ever ; his 
name had become the terror of an enemy 
six times more numerous than himself; 
after having harassed and fatigued his foes, 
he forced them to retire, and withdrew him- 
self into the forest of Galins. His first 
care was to provide for the maintenance of 
his troops. At his word there arose a mul- 
titude of mills, which were formed of 
barrels, in the bottom of which were placed 
large and solid stones, which had been pre- 
viously hollowed out; while a sort of pestle, 



145 

turned by the labour of a man, reduced the 
corn to powder. By this means however 
it was impossible to grind more than two 
bushels a day. The women vied with the 
men in these occupations, and used wooden 
mallets to bruise the corn ; this was their 
principal employment during the day ; and 
in the evening, after putting their children 
to bed, they sat up by the light of their 
resin-candles, and repaired the clothing of 
the soldiers. If any alarm arose they aban- 
doned every thing for their children, and 
taking them in their arms, they held them 
pressed to their bosoms until quiet was 
restored. 

These women had built little huts for 
themselves and their families, as well as 
small sheds for their cows, which they fre- 
quently removed from place to place, to 
avoid the asps, which came about them. In 



146 

spite of their vigilance, the smell of the 
milk, which the women heated in order to 
obtain cream, continually attracted these 
reptiles, which are so common in La Ven- 
dee. A mantua-maker, who came to see 
me at La Barbiniere, had spent three 
months in this forest, and she assured me 
that she had often seen as many as six of 
them round one of the vessels into which 
the milk had been poured ; but she had 
never heard of any one having been bitten 
by them. 

About the end of June, the Blues 
marched against Sapinaud, whose head- 
quarters were at Beaurepaire ; Charette, 
who had been informed of their intention, 
came to his assistance and joined his troops 
to those of Sapinaud. The enemy, though 
much superior in force, was completely 
beaten. The rout was so complete, that 



147 

the fugitives came in the direction of 
St Laurent and La Barbiniere, instead 
of proceeding towards Montaigu. I saw 
several soldiers, who had been dragged 
from their homes against their inclination, 
and who were discontented with being em- 
ployed in the service of a set of monstrous 
tyrants, who were much more occupied with 
their own fortunes than with the happiness 
of France, 

At this period I fell ill, yet notwithstand- 
ing my anxiety and sorrow, it was not long 
before I returned to a state of convales- 
cence. M. de Bejary, who had just arrived 
from Ancenis, then paid me a visit; he in- 
formed me that he had been seriously 
wounded at the battle of L'e Mans ; he told 
me he had been thrown into a waggon 
along with several wounded men, who were 
being conveyed to La Fleche, but all of 

l 2 



148 

them except himself had died of pain and 
fatigue, a few leagues from Sable. M. de 
Bejary entreated the driver, who seemed to 
have compassion on their misfortunes, to 
allow him to get out of the waggon, and 
as there were no witnesses at hand, the 
man permitted him to do so. He then 
dragged himself into a field near Sable, 
where exhausted with fatigue and loss of 
blood, he perceived a countrywoman, who 
was driving a flock of sheep, and being too 
weak to go towards her, he stretched out 
his hands in sign of supplication for assist- 
ance ; but she immediately fled. He was 
afraid that she had been alarmed at his ap- 
pearance, which he knew must have been 
more like that of a corpse than of a living 
man, but what was his surprise when he 
saw her return with two peasants, who 
lifted him gently from the place where he 
was lying, and carried him in their arms to 



149 

a farm-house. They cleared out a pig-sty 
for him, and after having placed some straw 
and blankets in it, they laid him upon them 
as gently as they could. The women regu- 
larly dressed his wounds. When the Blues 
came near the farm, the peasants drove 
their pigs into the sty and placed a heap 
of straw before the door. These assiduous 
and benevolent cares hastened his cure, and 
he was soon in a condition to depart. He 
then purchased of his hosts a peasant's 
dress, and took leave of them after paying 
them handsomely with assignats, which he 
had been fortunate enough to preserve 
about his person. He arrived in his rustic 
costume at Ancenis, whence he proceeded 
safe and sound to join the army of the 
centre. 

He told me that my daughter and M. de 
Veau de Chavagne, her husband, were con- 



150 

cealed in a farm near Ancenis. This 
pleasing, but unfounded information re- 
stored my health sooner than the best of 
doctors could have done. A number of the 
Blues received orders at this period to 
march to the frontiers, and our country was 
now relieved of a part of its burden. 

Stofflet and Bernier held their head- 
quarters at Nevi, at the Chateau de La 
Maurosiere ; they kept a good table, and 
received visits from all the surrounding 
neighbourhood. The ladies came to them 
in their finest dresses, the finest at least, 
which they were able to preserve from the 
ravages of w r ar. 

Charette, what could be his motive I 
know not, after having agreed with Stofflet 
to employ four hundred thousand francs in 
assignats, opposed for a time their circula- 



151 

tion. This was one of the principal causes 
of the discord which soon arose among 
them. 

Sapinaud desired that the men of Mor- 
tagne, St. Christophe, and St. Hilaire 
should march under his command ; his 
uncle, the Chevalier Sapinaud de la Verrie, 
had had these parishes under him, before 
the appointment of a general-in-chief ; and 
for that reason they ought, he said, to be sub- 
jected to him ; however, I made Sapinaud 
consent to desist from this claim, and to 
imitate the example of his uncle, who pre- 
ferred the love of the Vendeans to the au- 
thority which he exercised over them. The 
enemy, whose strength had become greatly 
diminished by part of his troops being sent 
to the frontiers, had the art to make Cha- 
rette and Sapinaud consent to a treaty of 
peace. This treaty was signed at La Jau- 



152 

naye. Charette did not acquaint Stofflet 
with this measure, though Sapinaud had 
entreated him to do so, and Stofflet irri- 
tated at this proceeding, marched against 
Sapinaud, who was then absent from Sour- 
dis, his paternal residence. He carried 
away his horses and every thing else that 
he could take from the house ; and Delau- 
nay, at the same period, deserted Charette's 
party. 

Stofflet, now pressed on all sides by the 
Republican troops, at length concluded a 
treaty of peace with them also. The 
enemy's generals showed him a great deal 
of attention ; they even formed hunting- 
parties with him. The conditions of their 
treaty with Charette and Sapinaud were on 
the contrary, very badly observed, and the 
Royalists would have been obliged to re- 
sume their arms even if the descent of 
Quiberon had not taken place. 



153 

Madame de Sapinaud mentions nothing 
in these memoirs that has not been in- 
scribed in the annals of her glorious mis- 
fortunes, a work which establishes the title 
of Madame La Marquise de la Rochejaque- 
lein and M. de Bonchamps to the gratitude 
of La Vendee. She bewails that insidi- 
ous peace by which the commissaries of the 
convention abused the ardent desire which 
the Vendeans felt to restore the happiness 
of their country, for which alone they de- 
sired to conquer or die. Like faithful and 
devoted Frenchmen, they wished to contri- 
bute to the return of their king and the 
peace of his subjects ; they armed them- 
selves only against the factious and the re- 
gicides. 

The peace was of short duration ; it 
lasted but a few days, and Charette and 



154 

Stofflet recommenced their career of arms ; 
but their valour was of no avail against 
the treachery and superior number of their 
enemy. After defending themselves to the 
last moment, they were obliged to yield to 
force ; they were surprised and surrounded 
by the enemy, Stofflet in Anjou, and Cha- 
rette in Brittany. The latter was taken in 
a wood near La Chabaussi^re. Wounded 
in the head, and exhausted with fatigue, 
he was leaning on two young peasants for 
support ; but he was deprived of this last 
prop of fidelity by two musket-shots, which 
laid the generous soldiers at his feet, and 
he became the prisoner of Travot. 

Stofflet and he had been engaged in more 
than a hundred and fifty battles, and had 
often triumphed over those who had con- 
quered all except La Vendee. They both 
lived with equal glory and died with equal 



153 

resignation, Stofflet at Angiers, the 23d of 
Feb., 1796, and Charette at Nantes, six 
weeks after. 

The recollection of their God and of 
their king, consoled them up to their latest 
moments, and their lips were pronouncing 
their very names, when they fell under the 
hands of their murderers. Charette's coat 
was sold for six hundred francs ; and the ter- 
ror he had excited was still so great that the 
revolutionists required his body to be dis- 
interred that they might be satisfied that 
he was no more. These warriors, who were 
so dreaded by the enemies of the throne, 
inspired, notwithstanding, the tenderest 
and most generous friendship. The young 
German, whom Stofflet had chosen for his 
aid-de-camp, would willingly have sacri- 
ficed his life to save him, but not being 



156 

able to gratify his wish, he felt pleasure in 
sharing his fate. 

There was a soldier of the same nation 
who never abandoned Charette to the last. 
Seeing him on the point of being taken, 
he put on the hat and coat of his general, 
and exposed himself to the fire of the Re- 
publicans, in the intention of dying for 
him, and thus procuring him time for 
escape; but they passed by him without 
doing him any injury, as soon as they dis- 
covered that he was not Charette. Disap- 
pointed at the failure of his stratagem, he 
rushed forward to die with honour on the 
field of battle. 

Let us compare Buonaparte, seeking par- 
don from his conquerors and going to hide 
his shame in a foreign land, with Stofflet 



157 

and Charette, who were equally calm, when 
bound in chains, as in the days of their 
triumph ; who both preferred misfortune 
and death in their own country, to peace 
and riches, which were offered them in 
England ; and who both preserved an un- 
conquered spirit to the last moment of 
their existence : — let us compare that fo- 
reigner with these two Frenchmen, and let 
us see whether he loved his country better 
than they did, or was better entitled to its 
love. 



THE END. 



APPENDIX. 



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES 



OF SOME OF THE 



VENDEAN GENERALS*. 



BONCHAMPS. 

The name of Bonchamps is universally known ; 
his exploits have immortalized his memory. It 
will, perhaps, be interesting to learn what were his 
manners and his habits in those days when he was 
far from expecting the celebrity which he after- 
wards obtained, or even desiring it. Naturally 
humble and modest, he did not waste his time in 
idle hopes. He entered the service in his six- 
teenth year, possessed of but an imperfect educa- 
tion, — and was solely indebted for what he after- 
wards became, to the happy qualities with which 

* These notices (with the exception of that of MM. 
Sapinaud,) were written by the son of Madame de 
Sapinaud de Bois-Huguet, whose name is so dear to 
the Vendeans, and who translated the psalms into French 
verse. — (Note of the Editor.) 

M 



162 

Heaven had endowed him. His manners were 
noble and agreeable ; he was of middling stature, 
but well made ; his features were expressive, his 
complexion dark, his hair thick and curly ; his 
lips, which were rather thick, gave an expression 
of simplicity to his countenance ; his teeth were 
of a brilliant whiteness, and his eyes sparkled with 
intelligence. His language, though somewhat la- 
boured, gave a just conception of his ideas. When 
he spoke of his campaign in India, made under M. 
de Suffren, in the second batallion of Aquitaine com- 
manded by M. de Damas, his comrades pressed 
around him to listen to his story ; and there was 
not a dry eye to be seen when he described the 
disorder under which he laboured on board the 
ship, and from which he recovered only by a sort 
of miracle. Like Madame de Maintenon, he was 
destined to return from the gates of death to fill 
the world with his name. Nobody was ever more 
beloved or more respected ; not even the officers 
of his regiment. He was sensible to the charms 
of friendship, and was no less attached to all that 
tends to the luxury and enjoyment of life. His 
exterior was brilliant, his expenses considerable ; 
an income of thirty thousand livres would scarce 
have sufficed to meet them, and he did not possess 
half that revenue. Every distinguished officer 
that arrived in our garrisons was entertained by 



163 

him. He was fond of study, and had a taste for 
the fine arts. He never went to bed at night with- 
out having first read for several hours by the light 
of a lamp, which was placed in the middle of the 
apartment so as to illuminate the whole. In the 
morning his servant called him very early, and 
placed by his bed-side a pair of red slippers, silk 
pantaloons, and an elegant dressing-gown. As soon 
as he arose, he placed himself before a glass, and 
sang some of his favourite airs, accompanying 
himself at the same time on the harp. He culti- 
vated, in succession, the studies of drawing, music, 
literature, and mathematics. He followed the 
fashion in his dress, at least so far as his military 
costume would allow him to do so. A portion of 
his afternoon was devoted to the practice of all 
kinds of military evolutions, which he executed on 
a table with metal soldiers, both horse and foot* 
His evening was divided between society and play. 
He was often a considerable loser, yet his wit and 
gaiety suffered no diminution. His conversation 
was always the same ; it was instructive and varied, 
though sometimes degenerating into punning, of 
which he was rather fond. He was desirous of 
advancing in the military profession, yet this de- 
sire was kept within proper bounds ; and his hu- 
manity, which was so strikingly displayed at the 
time of his death, rendered him beloved both by 

M 2 






164 

the officers and soldiers. Two of our men were 
turned out of the regiment while we were in gar- 
rison at Me'zieres, and were condemned to fight a 
duel before their departure. M. de Bonchamps 
opposed the sentence; " is it not enough," said 
he, " to dishonour them, without obliging them to 
kill each other ?" The officers yielded to this 
advice. As for Bonchamps, he never fought a 
duel in his life ; he detested them, and the gentle- 
ness and amenity of his manners kept him out of 
the way of them. The MM. Soyer informed me 
of the admirable answer he gave Stofflet on being 
challenged by him; " No, Sir, I will not accept 
your challenge ; God and the king can alone dis- 
pose of my life, and your cause would suffer too 
great a loss if it were deprived of yours." He 
was naturally too kind-hearted to be insensible to 
the charms of female beauty, and he had con- 
ceived for the daughter of a gentleman of Brittany, 
an attachment which absence had only served to 
increase; he solicited her hand in marriage, but 
her father opposed his desires. This disappoint- 
ment affected him deeply, and he used to tell me 
that he could never be happy again. We shared 
the same apartments, and the same table; our 
pleasures and our sorrows were in common. For 
the space of five years, few days have passed with- 
out his having spoken to me of his charming 



165 

Brittanese. He was often seized with fits of 
melancholy which lasted whole hours, and we 
then took great care not to disturb his silence. 
When his serenity returned, he felt grateful for 
this attention. I was also his travelling compa- 
nion. The first thing he did when we stopped at 
any town, was to look out for a tavern where he 
could play at chess. He has left me alone, young 
as I was, and ignorant of Paris, for a whole day, 
while he was playing game after game, at the Cafe 
Valois. Yet he was my Mentor, and was greatly 
attached to me, and I felt sincerely grateful for 
his attentions. What most astonished me was, 
that fond as he was of application, even in abstract 
studies, he took no care of his fortune and his af- 
fairs, but left us, who were so much younger than 
himself, to discharge his accounts at the inns, the 
billiard-rooms, and the shops ; that sensible as he 
was to female beauty, the prettiest woman was in- 
different to him, unless she had also some talent to 
recommend her ; and that with all his taste for 
grandeur, and his desire of advancement, he dis- 
dained intrigue and adulation. I accompanied 
him to Paris when he went to solicit the hand of 
Mademoiselle de Scepeaux in marriage. The first 
evening of our arrival, having gone to one of the 
theatres, we saw there a young female whose grace 
and beauty attracted the attention of every one. 



166 

Bonchamps recognised her, and the tears started 
into his eyes. I guessed that this was the young 
lady whom he had so deeply loved ; and I was not 
mistaken. When the play was over he had an 
affecting interview with her, in the course of which 
he learned that she was married to a captain in the 
navy. Happily Mademoiselle de Scepeaux yielded 
to his solicitations, and put a period to his sorrows ; 
ambition also contributed to remove them, but the 
revolution prevented the accomplishment of his 
hopes. He wished to rise only by honourable de- 
grees, and he only looked for happiness in retire- 
ment and in the bosom of his family. For this 
reason he did not accompany our regiment into 
emigration. The reign of terror occasioned him 
to abandon Paris ; he returned to his paternal cha- 
teau, situated in the neighbourhood of St. Florent, 
on a small hill between two rivers. He wished to 
have spent his days there in solitude ; but Heaven 
had destined him to be the object of the admiration 
of mankind, and the model of every virtue. But 
for the war of La Vendee, Bonchamps would have 
remained unknown, and might have furnished an 
illustration of those beautiful lines of Gray : — 

Full many a gem of purest ray serene 
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear - y 

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air. 



167 

D'ELBEE. 

M. d'ElbeVs father was a superior officer in 
the service of Saxony. On his death his son 
was placed in a regiment of French cavalry, but 
dissatisfied at not being able to rise higher than 
the rank of . lieutenant, he quitted the service. 
Like M. de Bonchamps he amused himself with 
making war on a small scale with regiments and 
squadrons cast in metal, and like him too, he was 
brave, honourable, and a devoted friend. Both of 
them, when they wished to marry, sought merit 
and beauty in preference to riches. M. d'Elb£e, 
when on the point of being united with a young 
lady of Nantes, who was very handsome and very 
rich, preferred the hand of Mile. d'Hauterive, 
who, though her fortune was but small, possessed 
a sensible and generous soul, and whose devotion 
to her husband cannot be surpassed. I have 
traced the points of resemblance between the two 
heroes of La Vendee, but there were also qualities 
which distinguished them from each other. While 
Bonchamps's appearance was pleasing and pre- 
possessing, that of d'Elbee was sombre and severe. 
His dark, yellow complexion, and his bright eyes 
deeply seated in his head, added to his expression 
of gravity. He was thin, and of middle stature; 
his language was sententious and slow. As soon 



168 

as he was possessed with a sentiment, he carried 
it to a pitch of enthusiasm. He had smiled on 
the commencement of the Revolution ; the spirit 
of Voltaire and the style of Rousseau had seduced 
him ; but he was shocked with the first revolu- 
tionary scenes. The misfortunes of the Royal 
Family attached him for ever to their cause ; he 
lived and died for them. M. d'Elbee and his 
friend M. de Boissy begged to be allowed to die 
together, and Madame d'Elbee entreated that she 
might not be permitted to survive her husband, 
and her wish was granted. They were united in 
the closest bonds of affection during life, and did 
not wish to be separated even in death. They 
had at that time an infant son in the cradle. This 
child outlived the misfortunes of La Vendee. 
His amiable character and his education gave rise 
to the greatest hopes, and his conduct in the 
guard of honour which he entered, proved that he 
was the worthy inheritor of his father's glory, as 
he was of his misfortunes. Being of so corpulent 
a habit of body as to find difficulty in sitting on 
horseback, he fell in a charge made on the enemy, 
and was killed. 



169 

CHARETTE. 

Charette, the relation of whose exploits is the 
best praise that can be given him, was for a long 
time in so delicate a state of health, that he feared 
he would be obliged to quit the navy in which he 
held the rank of lieutenant, He possessed an 
insatiate taste for pleasure, and seemed to be in 
every respect disqualified for a profession so 
fraught with perils and fatigue as that of arms. 
But the first shot that was fired in La Vendee 
operated upon him like the arms presented to the 
disguised Achilles. He became on a sudden dis- 
tinguished for his valour and piety ; he even 
carried this last virtue so far as to make his sol- 
diers fast on the eve of battle. He told his beads 
with them, and cherished in their hearts the 
united enthusiasm of honour and religion, This 
zeal, had it been well directed, would have ob- 
tained great advantages ; it would have prevented 
Charette from separating from the other armies ; 
it would have rendered his party invincible. But 
unfortunately, this fervour was of short duration ; 
the sight of some pretty women who owed their 
exaltation to his courage, soon damped his ardour ; 
but the weaknesses of the hero have disappeared 
before his glory, and have been eclipsed by it. 
The love of his country was always his predomi- 



170 

nant passion. A few days before he was taken 
prisoner, an officer with whom I am acquainted, 
said to him, " Why did you not accept the advan- 
tageous proposals of the Directory ?" — " Honour/' 
he replied, " compelled me to decline them ; 
while Charette lives he will pursue his course 
(tant que Charette palpitera, la charrette rou* 
leva)" When he had fallen into the enemy's 
hands, he said to the cousin of my brother's wife, 
who had obtained leave to see him in prison ; — 
" my friend, the Directory will take care not to 
disgrace themselves ; besides, my death would 
irritate the people against them." Even if the 
Council, which condemned him, had been favour- 
able to him, he could not have failed to die in a 
few days, for his wounds had mortified. 



SOYER. 

The MM. Soyer, born of a family of merchants 
residing at Chemille, soon raised themselves to the 
highest rank in society, by their devotion to the 
king, and the nobleness of their conduct. I have 
already paid a just tribute of praise to the 
courage of M. Frangois Soyer. His elder brother 
equally distinguished himself in Stofflet's army by 
his bravery, his intelligence, and his conciliating 



171 

spirit. He was sent to Nantes by M. Cathelineau, 
the general-in-chief of the Vendean armies, to 
dispose the minds of the people in favour of the 
Royalists. In this attempt he completely suc- 
ceeded, and the town would certainly have been 
taken, had it not been for a merchant, who, by a 
profuse distribution of money, gained over the 
people and a part of the national guard. If 
Nantes had fallen, Brittany and the western pro- 
vinces must have followed, and much blood would 
have been spared. Few Royalists can boast of 
more honourable deeds of arms than M. Soyer ; 
when he was surrounded at Chatillon by four 
hussars, he killed all the four, and rejoined his 
division. His body is covered with scars ; the 
only part of him that remains is his heart, which 
is devoted entirely to his God and his king. The 
heroes of this army equalled in courage all that is 
related as most remarkable among the Romans. 
M. Soyer has told me that one of their horsemen, 
on being informed that the enemy had pitched a 
camp by the side of the great road leading from 
Chemille to the Pont-de-C6, immediately resolved 
on killing the commander. Regardless of the 
danger of the enterprise, he passed with his face 
on his horse's neck through the midst of se- 
veral platoons of the enemy, which were march- 
ing to join their division ; he was exposed to 



172 

several shots, but escaped them all, arrived at the 
spot, cleared the trenches, penetrated to the very 
tent of the commander, dismounted, entered, shot 
him dead with a pistol, mounted his horse, gal- 
loped off, and was on the point of leaping the last 
entrenchment of the camp, when he received a 
mortal wound, and fell shouting " Vive le Roi !" 
M. Soyer was himself witness of a remarkable 
example of devotion to the royal cause in the 
person of his youngest brother. This young man, 
who was at the college of Angers, employed the 
money which was allowed him for his amusement, 
in purchasing gun- powder. As the scholars went 
regularly twice a-week out of the town to walk, 
he took advantage of these opportunities to for- 
ward his powder to some prudent Royalists, who 
were acquainted with his secret. This new mode 
of serving the king was the more praiseworthy, 
as the young scholar was perfectly aware of the 
risk he ran. M. Soyer was appointed major- 
general of Stofflet's army, and the latter might 
have restored France to his king, if he had lis- 
tened to Soyer's advice, which was never to sepa- 
rate himself from Charette. The union of these 
two chiefs would have produced astonishing 
effects. After Stofflet's death, M. Soyer might 
have obtained the appointment of commander-in- 
chief; but he was as modest as he was brave, and 



173 

preferred appointing to that office M. Charles 
d'Autichamp, whose name must be held in 
honour by every Frenchman. At the conclusion 
of the war, and on the 18th Fructidor, his house 
was continually an asylum for the emigrants. He 
is now a field-marshal, and has espoused Mile, de 
Grignon. It was but just that beauty and glory 
should be the recompense of honour and courage. 



SAPINAUD. 

M. Sapinaud de la Ramie was born at the 
Chateau de Sourdy, in Bas-Poitou, on the 3d 
December, 176O. In 1778 he was appointed 
gentleman cadet in the regiment of Foix, and he 
retired in 1779 vvith the rank of first lieutenant. 
Five of his brothers, four of whom had served as 
officers for several years, emigrated with their 
corps. On the 10th March, 1793, he joined his 
uncle the Chevalier Sapinaud de la Verrie, and 
attacked the garrisons of TirTauges and Les Her- 
biers. He then joined his division to that of the 
chiefs of Anjou, and along with them took pos- 
session of le "Boisgroleau and Chollet. He after- 
wards took the command of the town of Mortagne, 
where he maintained very important correspon- 
dence with all the Corps d'Arm£e, and saved the 



174 

artillery on the arrival of the troops of Mayence. 
In the campaign of Outre-Loire he commanded 
as chief of division ; and after the fatal retreat of 
the Mans, he procured a little boat at Ancenis, 
where he re-crossed the Loire with Henri de la 
Rochejaquelein, Stofflet, Vaugiraud, and La Ville- 
Beauge. Shortly after their arrival on the other 
side of the river, they were informed by their host 
that the house in which they had taken shelter was 
surrounded by Republicans ; yet they continued 
to sleep soundly, so great was the fatigue they 
had undergone. 

Sapinaud was welcomed by the Vendeans as 
their deliverer ; he re-organized the army of the 
centre at the beginning of the year 1794, and de- 
feated a corps of three hundred Republicans at 
La Gaubretiere. Having at length succeeded in 
collecting eighteen hundred men, he sent two 
Royalists to convey the information to Charette, 
but they both fell victims to their zeal. A third 
offered to fulfil the commission. Sapinaud pointed 
out to him the danger attending its execution. 
" General,'' replied the brave peasant, u fear no- 
thing ; Heaven will protect us." And so indeed 
it happened, for he carried his message in safety 
to Charette, who joined Sapinaud at ChaufFe. The 
generals had scarcely time to exchange saluta- 
tions, when they learnt that two hundred men 



175 

were marching against the town. They hastened 
to meet them, attacked and dispersed them ; 
another column which attempted to surprise them 
in the evening, shared the same fate. The river, 
which had overflowed its banks, added to their 
disasters ; for those who escaped the sword, be- 
came the victims of the waves. The two generals 
then proceeded towards Lege, which they carried 
after several sanguinary battles. Two pieces of can- 
non, two cassoons, and a large quantity of clothing 
were the reward of this victory. At the taking of 
this town, M. Joly, a chief of Division in Cha- 
rette's army, on learning that his son had received 
a mortal wound, threw himself from his horse and 
flew to his relief. A soldier came up at the same 
moment, and informing him that one of his sons 
who served among the Blues, had been taken pri- 
soner, asked him what should be done with the 
young man; " Shoot him !" he replied, his eyes 
still fixed upon his dying son, whom he pressed 
tenderly to his bosom and bathed with his tears. 
Sapinaud and Charette were not so fortunate at 
the bridge of James as at Lege; one had his 
horse wounded, and the other had his killed under 
him. They withdrew to La Grotte, near Vicille 
Vigne, and there separated. In the beginning of 
March, 1794, Sapinaud joined a division of Stof- 
flet's army to his own, and attempted to take pos- 
session of Mortagne, but not succeeding in the 



176 

first instance, he made a second attack upon it in 
company with Marigny, which was also unsuccess- 
ful. Preparations were already made for a third 
attack, when the enemy, taking advantage of the 
obscurity of the night, evacuated the place. The 
three Royalist chiefs formed a junction, about the 
end of April, to drive back the incendiary columns 
commanded by Cordelier. They proposed to 
Charette to appoint him general-in-chief ; he re- 
plied that he would prefer seeing M. Fleuriot, his 
uncle, in that situation ; this reply displeased Stof- 
flet, and nothing more was said on the subject. 

The Royalist troops, after pursuing the Incen- 
diaries as far as Saint Florent, fell back upon 
Jallais ; they there determined on making a fresh 
attack, and it was agreed that every officer who 
should quit the army before the Incendiaries were 
exterminated, should be held and punished as a 
traitor. 

Sapinaud had scarcely commenced his march 
at the head of eight hundred men, to carry this 
plan into execution, than he received orders to 
return to Jallais, where a council of war was as- 
sembled, which condemned Marigny to death, for 
having violated his promise. This officer, dissatis- 
fied with the want of attention paid by Charette 
and Stofflet to his division, had withdrawn it into 
the Commune of Cerisais. 

His friend Sapinaud refused to sign this cruel 



177 

decree. The mildness of his disposition made him 
endeavour to conciliate the minds of others. It 
was he who informed Stofflet of the conferences of 
La Jaunaye ; he even persuaded him to proceed 
thither to concert measures with Charette. That 
general, unfortunately, had left the place ; he had 
gone to curb the spirit of discontent which had 
manifested itself among the officers of his troops 
in consequence of the peace. Sapinaud signed 
the treaty at La Jaunaye in Feb. 1795, and en- 
tered Nantes as general of the army of the centre, 
in company with Charette. 

Whilst Sapinaud was maintaining with glory the 
cause of the throne and the altar, five of his bro- 
thers and two of his cousins, of the same name 
with himself, were defending the same cause under 
the banners of the French princes and their allies. 
Henri Sapinaud, who had volunteered his services 
in the regiment of La Chatre, had already pe- 
rished in the glorious sortie from Menain. That 
officer, after having pierced the battalions of the 
enemy with the column under his command, and 
adorned the hats of his soldiers with the tufts of 
the vanquished Grenadiers, led them to the station 
which had been allotted to them by the general. 
Their comrades coming up to the same spot in the 
twilight cf the morning, took them for French 

N 



178 

Grenadiers and killed them. The greater part of 
them were Vendeans : that valiant blood was al- 
ways shed, wherever there were any laurels to 
gather. Two other brothers of the general, Ed- 
ward and Prosper de Sapinaud, Chevaliers de St. 
Louis, were at this period sent into La Vendue by 
the Prince de Conde, to compliment their brother ; 
and the Chevalier Sapinaud de Bois-Huguet, who 
had been appointed by the Duke of York, Lieu- 
tenant in the British Hulans, for having killed a 
Republican colonel in a battle near Nimegue, 
during the campaign of Holland, quitted that ad- 
vantageous post to return to La Vendee, which 
was then almost in a hopeless condition. M. Sa- 
pinaud de Bois-Huguet was also appointed officer 
in Lowenstein's corps. The events of Quiberon 
had then produced a recommencement of hostili- 
ties. Charette had given the signal for war at Les 
Essarts, and Sapinaud at Mortagne. The latter 
gave notice the day before to the Republican 
general, that he would attack him in his camp at 
La Croix-de-Mission, as he had before announced 
to him, and M. de Bejarry and himself proceeded 
thither in different directions. They put the 
enemy to flight, after killing three hundred men 
and taking a great number prisoners. It has been 
erroneously supposed that they surprised and cut 



179 



to pieces the Republicans at Mortagne ; this is 
quite a mistake. I have stated the facts as they 
occurred, and the distinguished loyalty of M. de 
Sapinaud's character is the best proof that can 
be given of them. He co-operated with all the 
chiefs, directed his army wherever he could assist 
them to conquer, and even gave up a portion of 
his estate ; he was the intimate friend of Charette. 
That general, previously to his death, sent to him 
by a common friend the last proofs of his esteem. 
At the taking of Mortagne, a superior officer 
possessed of the most agreeable and engaging qua- 
lities, fell into the hands of Sapinaud. His face 
and figure were of the most handsome description, 
and a congenial taste for music and drawing, a 
corresponding mildness of character, and an equa- 
lity of age, quickly united the conqueror and the 
captive in the bonds of a sincere affection. This 
interesting man soon learned to partake in the sen- 
timents of the Vendeans. The verses which he 
addressed to Sapinaud in the autumn of 1795* 
during the absence of that genera], who had gone 
to join Charette, afford a convincing proof of his 
change of opinion. They were as follow : 

Au general dont Pabsence 
Nous rend doublement malheureux, 
J'ose adresser ces couplets ; trop heureux 

S'ilsnous procuraient sa presence! 

N 2 



180 

Au sein de la neige et des glace s 

Pr^cipitez vos bataillons ; 
Bravez les bruyantes menaces 

De la bise et des aquilons ; 
Ne craignez point que la victoire 

S'enfuie a Faspect des hivers ; 
Tous les temps sont boris pour la gloire, 

Et les lauriers sout toujours verts. 
Guerriers, la mort est-elle a craindre, 

Quand Ton combat pour ses foyers ? 
Le Gueriier se pourrait-il plaindre, 

Lorsq'uil tombe sur ses lauriers ? 
Mourir, c'estrendre a la nature 

Uu bien qu'elle nous a prete" ; 
Et, quand on meurt sur son armure, 

C'est naltre a I'lmmortalite* I 

This unfortunate young man was not allowed to 
meet the glorious death which he describes ; ano- 
ther officer, one of his fellow-prisoners, jealous of 
the interest which he excited, accused him of 
having formed a plot with the Republican soldiers 
to deliver them and put the Royalists to death. 
M. de Fleuriot gave credit to the infamous calum- 
ny, and the interesting captive was shot in the 
woods of the Chateau de Beaurepaire. Sapinaud, 
on his return, was dreadfully afflicted at this ini- 
quitous decision, which deprived the king of a sub- 
ject who would have served him with zeal, and 
his own heart of a grateful friend whom he hoped 
to restore to happiness. 



181 

The disasters of Quiberon enabled the enemy 
to employ all their forces against the Vendeans, 
who, deceived in the peace which had been made 
with the commissioners sent to Jaunaye, and in the 
hopes they had formed of the Quiberon expedition, 
and enfeebled by the divisions of their chiefs, felt 
themselves abandoned by fortune ; but their glory 
remained faithful to them, and still blazed over 
the last moments of Stofflet and Charette. Gene- 
ral Sapinaud was obliged to yield to the storm, and 
to await a more favourable period. 

A few months before the 18th Fructidor, he 
married Mademoiselle Marie-Louise Charette, 
grand-daughter of the general of that name, and 
daughter of M. Charette, that general's cousin. 
Incapable of serving any other power than that 
for which he had sworn to live and die, he main- 
tained the peasantry in those sentiments which 
have procured them everlasting honour ; and during 
the three months which preceded the return of the 
Bourbons in 1814, he went from cottage to cot- 
tage both by day and night, preparing them to en- 
ter with fresh vigour, on the career of honour. 
It was agreed that they should receive the sacra- 
ment on Easter-Sunday, meet at the appointed 
place on the Monday, and on the Tuesday display 
their banners to the cries of '* Vive le Roi !" 
Thus nourished by celestial food, and supported 



182 

by the God of armies, what enemy could resist 
them ? Scarcely were their swords unsheathed, 
when they suddenly received information that 
Monsieur, the king's brother, the harbinger of hap- 
pier days, was approaching in the name of that 
monarch to present the olive-branch, the emblem 
of peace. M. de Sapinaud was charged to bear 
to the foot of the throne the tribute of devotion of 
his brave followers. If there be any pleasure un- 
alloyed on earth, it is that which he experienced 
on this occasion ; for a faithful subject must always 
feel an inexpressible joy in the notice of his 
prince. 

He assisted the Marquis of La Rochejaquelein 
during the interregnum, and would have followed 
him to Les Marais, but for the desertion which 
that project occasioned in his army. Left with a 
handful of men, he was obliged to seek reinforce- 
ments at Bazouge, a parish of La Rairie, and was 
on his way to join the Marquis of La Rochejaque- 
lein, when he received the account of his death. 
The Vendeans, and indeed every Frenchman 
whose heart is sensible to glory, deplored the fate 
of that young hero, thus cut off by the sword of 
battle in the very flower of his age. General Sa- 
pinaud was appointed general-in-chief; and, in 
that high rank, he not only established additional 
claims to the esteem of his countrymen, but, by 



183 

the peace to which he acquiesced, succeeded in 
preserving to the king the precious blood of his 
faithful subjects. His reply to General De Sag6, 
who proposed to him to form a junction with the 
army of the Loire against the allied powers, proves 
that he felt the importance and dignity of the office 
with which his country had intrusted him. 

M General, why do you not rather think of 
joining us ; that would be the only means of ob- 
taining the mercy of the king whom we serve, and 
will continue to serve till death ? The spotless 
banner is the only standard round which the Ven- 
deans can rally." 

The King has appointed him lieutenant-general, 
Cordon-Rouge, Inspector of the National Guards 
of La Vendee, and Chevalier of the legion of 
honour. On the return of the king of France, 
Ferdinand, King of Spain, sent him the cross of 
the order of Charles III. Just as he was beginning 
to enjoy the glory and reward of his services, the 
assassination of the prince who bore so near a re- 
semblance to the good Henry, plunged him into 
a profound affliction, which nothing but the birth 
of the duke of Bourdeaux could have relieved. 



18-1 

SAPINAUD DE BOIS-HUGUET. 

The Chevalier Sapinaud de Bois-Huguet, known 
by the name of La Verrie, had served live and 
twenty years in the gardes-du-corps. He had 
remained in La Vendee to be useful to his ne- 
phews, MM. Sapinaud de Bois-Huguet, officers in 
active service, who emigrated with their regiments. 
In the beginning of March 1793, he attacked the 
garrisons of TifTauges and Les Herbiers, and car- 
ried away three pieces of cannon. On his return 
to La Verrie he saved M. de Beaulieu, the father 
of twelve children, and a zealous partisan of the 
revolution, from the fury of the peasantry. Heaven 
rewarded him for this generous action, and gave 
him the victory at the battle of Les Guerinieres, on 
which occasion the peasants displayed equal in- 
telligence and courage. Learning that the Re- 
publicans were advancing to attack them, to the 
number of two thousand, they suddenly quitted 
their chiefs, and disregarding their orders to return, 
proceeded by a very narrow road, to surprise the 
enemy, who were hastening to reach the bridge of 
Gravereau, but who being seized with a sudden 
panic, were completely routed, and lost a thousand 
men in their retreat. 

M. de Sapinaud, after this glorious action, es- 
tablished his head -quarters at the Chateau d'Oie, 



185 

called, some years before, L'Abergement, and 
which MM. Sapinaud, who were formerly the pro- 
prietors of it, had sold. Here, in the birth-place 
of his fathers, just as he was beginning to repose 
after the fatigues of war, General Marce took pos- 
session of Chantonnay. He immediately marched 
against him and drove him back. That general 
returned on the 19th March, with fifteen hundred 
men, and gave battle to the Royalists in the valley 
of Le Laye. The latter repulsed them, and pene- 
trated their columns. The enemy's artillery, 
however, stood their ground, and M. de Sapinaud 
seeing that the Vendeans were alarmed at the re- 
peated discharges, animated them with this brief 
and heroic address : — " My friends, fear nothing ; 
look at me, and follow me !" Attentively watching 
the moment when the match was applied to the 
guns, he fell flat on the ground while the balls 
passed over him, then rose, rushed forward, and 
followed by the peasants, who imitated his example, 
took possession of the batteries. M. de Royrand, 
whose age and services, rather than his capacity, 
had obtained his appointment as general-in-chief, 
complimented M. de Sapinaud on his boldness in 
confronting death. " You are mistaken, my 
friend," said he ; "I fear death as much as any 
one, but I should be sorry not to meet danger as 
bravely as others. " This battle, known under the 






186 

name of St. Vincent, spread the greatest terror 
among the Republicans, and made the Royalists 
masters of an immense extent of territory. 

M. de Sapinaud having occasion to return to 
La Verrie on some private business, was obliged 
to raise troops there immediately, and to advance 
towards Chatillon, from which place the enemy 
fled at his approach. He pursued his march as 
far as La Chataigneraye, from whence he for- 
warded two pieces of cannon and two barrels of 
powder, to Mortagne. He also went there in per- 
son, and was received in triumph. The house of 
his sister-in-law, Madame Sapinaud de Bois-Hu- 
guet, was not empty for a moment during the six 
hours he spent there. M. de Royrand and he 
marched with the other chiefs against Fontenay ; 
about the end of May, they brought up their divi- 
sions in the direction of St. Hermine, while the 
other generals commenced the attack on two oppo- 
site points ; Fontenay was soon the reward of their 
valour. The booty was considerable, but it was 
Unequally divided, which excited the complaints 
of M. de Royrand. 

A short time afterwards, M. Sapinaud de la 
Verrie took a number of prisoners in a battle near 
Chantonnay, and among them was Colonel Mon- 
net. This was the last ray of happiness which fate 
shed on his career. The unsuccessful attack of 



187 

Luc on, at the end of June, overwhelmed him with 
grief. He was himself the last to quit the field of 
battle, yet nothing could arrest the flight of the 
Ro}'al army, occasioned by the deserters whom 
M. de Royrand had imprudently received into his 
division, returning to their flag. In the mean time 
the army of the centre being desirous to stop the 
progress of General Tuncq, M. de Sapinaud was 
chosen to command the advance-guard. 

As he was approaching the bridge of Charron 
to take possession of that important station, he was 
betrayed by a protestant deserter, who communi- 
cated the counter-sign to the enemy, and he found 
himself surrounded on every side. Twice he 
rushed forward to the attack, and twice he was 
driven back and mortally wounded. Four pea- 
sants, one of whom was named Guiton, of the 
village of La Verrie, of which Sapinaud was the 
proprietor, forfeited their lives in attempting to 
rescue his body from the murderers. A price 
had been set upon his head, so much were his in- 
fluence and valour dreaded by the enemy. Thus 
perished on the field of honour, the Chevalier Sa- 
pinaud de Bois-Huguet, in his fifty-fifth year. 
The Royal army, in the official bulletin of the 
superior council, deplores his death in the follow- 
ing words : 

" We owe a well-merited tribute of praise and 



188 

regret to M. Sapinaud de la Verrie *, who, being 
wounded in the first attack of the bridge of Char- 
ron, fell into the hands of the enemy, and expe- 
rienced the most cruel tortures from them." 



ACCOUNT OF 

THE PASSAGE OF THE LOIREf. 

In the Autumn of 1793, the Royalists of La 
Vendee passed the Loire, crossed the Maine 
and Brittanny, and after obtaining several victories 
over the troops which were opposed to them, they 
laid siege to the little port of Grandville, in 
Normandy. This plan had been concerted with 
the English, who had promised to send a squa- 
dron, and to supply the Royalists with troops and 
artillery. The winds, however, were constantly 
unfavourable to the success of this enterprise, and 

* M. de la Verrie was nearly five feet six inches high, 
and was well made. His countenance was as noble and 
animated as his figure was well proportioned. His fore- 
head was small and rather projecting, his eyes were black 
and very brilliant, his nose and mouth well-turned, and 
his whole face had an agreeable expression. He had a 
good deal of hair, but age and misfortune had whitened it. 

t We have been furnished with these observations by 
a writer well known and esteemed by the friends of 
religion and of the king. — (Note of the Editor.) 



189 

the resistance of Grandville was still more so. 
The object was to have taken possession of this port, 
and thus to have procured a free communication 
with the islands of Jersey and Guernsey. It 
would not have been difficult to have fortified this 
little place ; and by this means to have secured a 
channel for the frequent supply of troops and 
ammunition. Young Forestier, in the course of 
the attack on this town, had climbed to the very 
ramparts ; his brave soldiers hastened to follow 
him, when a deserter from the Republican troops, 
who had been received into their ranks, cried out, 
" Back ! Back ! — we are betrayed !" A Vendean 
officer blew out his brains on the spot ; but terror 
had already spread among the besiegers, and 
nothing would check their retreat, which was 
accelerated too by the desire of returning to their 
native soil. It was succeeded by sad disasters. 
The English, whose progress had been impeded by 
contrary winds, did nor come up to the coast until 
the royal army was already at a great distance 
from it. 

On the 2d of October, a squadron, under the 
command of Admiral Macbride, came in sight of 
Cape La Hogue, passed before Cherbourg, and 
went along the coast to Grandville. This squa- 
dron, which was composed of several ships of war, 
floating batteries, and transports, had about seven 



190 

thousand English troops on board, besides a corps 
of French emigrants, which were to be joined by 
others already assembled at Jersey and Guernsey. 
The Earl of Moira headed the enterprise, but not 
perceiving on the coast the signals which had been 
agreed upon, he anchored at Jersey, and remained 
there some time. He there received intelligence 
of the disasters of the Royalists, and thus this 
expedition, for which the English government had 
entered into considerable expenses, was com- 
pletely useless ; for, there was no longer the least 
hope of any co-operation on the part of the 
Royalists in that quarter. 

It is the more necessary to state these facts 
here, as they have not been mentioned in the 
histories and memoirs relating to the Revolu- 
tion. Writers of the Republican party, and even 
some of those attached to the Royal cause, have 
reproached the British government with having on 
this occasion deceived the Royalists of La Vendee. 
These details, I trust, will justify the English 
ministry in this particular at least. The account 
which I have here given is extracted from the 
English gazettes, and official reports. 



191 



ACCOUNT OF SEVERAL VICTIMS OF THE RE- 
VOLUTIONARY TRIBUNAL OF LAVAL, AFTER 
THE PASSAGE OF THE VENDEANS. 

A woman of La Vendue, who had been forced by 
sickness to remain at Laval with her three daugh- 
ters, was discovered and condemned to death by 
those infamous judges, to whom the name of men 
cannot be given without disgracing mankind. 
Some there were who had courage to raise their 
voices in the cause of humanity, but they were no 
more heard than the cries of a child lost in a 
forest during a storm. 

The youngest of the victims who was but six- 
teen years of age, and who was singularly beau- 
tiful, was overpowered with terror at sight of the 
preparations for her execution ; but her mother's 
voice soon restored her self-possession. Like the 
mother of the Machabaei she begged to be put to 
death last ; and, after supporting the courage of her 
children, her soul was wafted to Heaven to share 
their glory, and to increase it by her presence. 

Another Vendean woman was conducted in a 
state of pregnancy to prison, where she was deli- 
vered of a male child. A person who was beside 
her, hearing her weep during the pains of childbirth, 
asked her how she would have sufficient fortitude 



192 

to bear up during her execution. " I now yield 
to the sufferings and complaints of nature," she 
replied, " but on the scaffold God will be with 
me." 

She suckled her child during six weeks ; and, 
at the expiration of that period her sentence was 
communicated to her. She received the intelli- 
gence with resignation. She requested permission 
to carry her child in her arms to the spot where 
her hair was to be cut off previous to her execu- 
tion. This solicitation was acceded to. The 
maternal tenderness and the confidence in Heaven 
which were depicted in her countenance, power- 
fully affected all who beheld her. On reaching 
the fatal spot she gave her infant a last kiss, and 
placed it in the arms of the woman who had had 
charge of her in the jail. " Take this poor little 
orphan," said she, " I confide it to your care. I 
can only offer you my watch in return for your 
goodness ; but Heaven, I trust, will hear my 
prayers, and discharge the debt of gratitude I owe 
you." She then calmly ascended the scaffold. 
The executioner wished to take off her shawl, lest 
it might impede him in the horrible operation 
which he was about to perform. " No," said 
she, " I would rather not be uncovered ; I care 
not how much I suffer." Her infant, deprived of 



. 193 

her care, withered like a tender bud when excluded 
from the fostering rays of the sun. It was restored 
to her, not in this world, where happiness is merely 
an empty name, but in those realms of bliss, 
where joy reigns everlastingly, and where sorrow 
never enters. 

The people of Laval had sensibly increased 
the Royalist army during the passage of the 
Loire. They shared with the Royalists their pro- 
visions, fyc, and took part in their engagements. 
Thus the people of Laval are never mentioned in 
the faithful land, without receiving a tribute of 
praise. 

God has rewarded them by protecting in their 
country a convent of Trappists. These holy men, 
who are engaged night and day in offering up 
prayers to move the mercy of Heaven in behalf of 
the sinful, perform mass twice every week for the 
soldiers who perished at the battle of Laval, in 
1793. I saw two of these saints on earth: one 
was brother Marie-Joseph, formerly Baron de 
Geramb, a general in the Austrian service, and 
chamberlain to the Emperor Francis ; the other 
was brother Joseph, formerly known by the name 
of M. de Champlois, grand-vicar of the diocese 
of Nice. I never met with any ecclesiastics more 
distinguished for information and talent, amiable 
conduct, and humility. 

o 



194 

I picture to myself the image of these two pious 
men, when I seek to form an idea of the perfect 
beings who have passed from earth to heaven. 



THE END. 



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